In southern Gaza, new anti-Hamas enclave emerges under militia claiming Israeli backing

Working in apparent coordination with Abu Shabab, which also claims arms and other support from Israel, Hossam al-Astal says hundreds flocking to his base for food, power and escape from Hamas
In a village south of Khan Younis, emptied by months of fighting, a 50-year-old former Palestinian Authority officer is carving out what appears to be the latest attempt to pare back Hamas’s power in the Strip, establishing a small, armed enclave that promises an alternative to the terror group with the quiet support of Israel and the West.







