According to reports in April 7, 2026, an anti-Hamas militia in Gaza, commonly referred to as the Popular Forces or Popular Resistance Militia and backed by Israel, claimed to have eliminated Musa Al-Aidi, a commander of Hamas’s Sahem Unit.
Key Details of the Operation:
Target: The operation aimed at Musa Al-Aidi, a senior commander in the “Sahem” (Arrow) Unit, which is tasked by Hamas with enforcing internal security and cracking down on opposition in the Strip.
Casualties: The militia announced they killed Al-Aidi along with six of his men in the central Gaza Strip.
Operation Details: Reports indicate the militia used anti-aircraft launchers for the first time during the operation and claimed to have acted against what they call the “dirty arm of Hamas.”
Gazan journalists reported that an Israeli UAV assisted the militia in the operation, with some estimates suggesting total casualties in the incident could be higher, ranging between 10-15 people, according to local reports.
The militia reported that following the engagement, they faced retaliatory fire from Hamas forces.
The Sahem Unit was established by Hamas in 2024–2025. It has been responsible for intense crackdowns on clans and armed groups in Gaza deemed as collaborating with Israel.
The Popular Forces, led by successors of the late Yasser Abu Shabab, have emerged as a significant armed challenger to Hamas rule in areas of Gaza.
Hamas has historically labeled these groups as “traitors” and “collaborators.”
Despite all the fine talk about a Gazan Board of Peace this is part of a civil war that is going on within the Gaza Strip, a divide that no reconstruction can erase as long as Hamas is allowed to exist in any form in the Gaza Strip.
