The al-Qassam Brigades were founded in 1987, and take their name from the Palestinian scholar Izzuddin al-Qassam, who is considered a ‘symbol of the Palestinian resistance’. Since its establishment, the Brigade has taken over military operations as a branch of Hamas.
The al-Qassam Brigades took control of Gaza after Hamas won elections in 2006, and its rival Fatah was ousted from the territory in 2007.
This authority has made the al-Qassam Brigades the largest force in the Gaza Strip and has given it the freedom to carry out repeated military operations against Israel, which has drawn it from Israel, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Egypt. It has been declared a terrorist group.
However, despite the authority, influence and power of the Al-Qassam Brigades in the Gaza Strip, it is not the only military force in the Strip, as it has been an incubator for many movements and factions throughout its history.
Quds Brigade
The Al-Quds Brigade is the second largest military force in the Gaza Strip, established in 1987 as a military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, which was established in 1982 as the ‘Saif al-Islam’ Brigade.
In the early nineties, the then Islamic Jihad leadership headed by Mahmoud Arafat al-Khawaja changed the name of the military wing to ‘Al-Qawy al-Islamiyah al-Mujahidah’, which was briefly known as Qat.
Al-Quds Brigade’s name came to light in 2002 when it took part in the so-called Battle of Jenin Camp under the leadership of Mahmoud Tawalabh.
His name resurfaced last year during an operation against Israel in response to the Israeli army’s campaign of arrests against members of the brigade.
Al-Nasser Salahuddin Brigades
The movement was founded in 2000 as a military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees and featured prominently in the 2008 invasion of Gaza, before it announced its split from the Popular Resistance Committees and formed under the same name. Established an independent institution.
Ansar Brigade
It was established as a military wing of the Palestinian Liberal Movement in 2007, after several Fatah leaders announced their departure from the movement.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade
According to experts, its militant groups, Ayman Joda Group, Nabeel Masood Group and Nizal Al-Amoudi Brigade, are the strongest of the militant groups that make it up.
Ahmad Abul Reish Brigade
A military wing of Fatah, founded by Amr Abu Sita in 2000 as a member of the movement.
Jihad Gabriel Brigade
The military wing of the Popular Front General Command.
Abdul Qadir Al Hussaini Brigade
It was founded by a group of armed elements belonging to Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.
Mujahideen Brigade
It is a Palestinian movement that emerged from the womb of Fatah and began with the Mujahideen Brigade of the Al-Aqsa Brigade, which leans towards the Islamic Jihad movement and some Salafi currents, and was founded by Omar Abu Sharia in 2006.
Abu Ali Mustafa Brigade
It was founded in 2000 as the Popular Resistance Committees, the Popular Resistance Forces (PRF), and was renamed the Abu Ali Mustafa Shaheed Brigades in 2001 after the assassination of the front’s secretary general in Ramallah by Israel. was given
National Resistance Brigade
The military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), a Palestinian military group established in 2000 and spread across the Gaza Strip, West Bank and Jerusalem, has repeatedly raided Israeli camps in the West Bank and Gaza. are killed
In addition, there are many armed Salafist-backed groups and organizations in the Gaza Strip, including:
Jaish Islam
His first military operation was participating in the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006.