Following the Israeli pullback and ceasefire, fighting has broken out between Hamas and Palestinian factions linked with ISIS. President Donald Trump says those Hamas operations are within the framework of the ceasefire.
On Sunday, fighting between Hamas and the Dughmush clan killed 27 people, including eight members of Hamas, and injured a journalist. Hamas says it is also now hunting members of the Popular Force led by Yasser Abu Shabab. The Popular Forces are linked to ISIS.
The Dughmush clan and Popular have previously received support from the Israeli military.
Trump said Hamas has approval to fight the opposing Palestinian factions. “They do want to stop the problems, and they’ve been open about it, and we gave them approval for a period of time,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.
Trump noted he did not want there to be a power vacuum in Gaza.
On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and hostage exchange under a framework proposed by Trump. The truce began on Friday, and the living Israeli hostages were free on Monday.
The two sides are now scheduled to begin negotiations on phase two of Trump’s peace proposal. Hamas and Israel remain far apart on key issues to reaching a permanent end to the conflict, including whether Hamas will disarm and who will rule Gaza after the war.
