Six anti-Hamas militias are currently deployed throughout the Gaza Strip, with one assigned to each governorate except Rafah, which hosts two, according to an update posted on X during the three-hour period ending at 6:45 a.m. UTC on January 26, 2026. FDD's Long War Journal noted an increase in offensive operations by these militias in recent weeks, particularly by Husam al-Astal's Counterterrorism Strike Force, which killed a Hamas police officer, captured Hamas members, and claimed responsibility for the defection of Hamza Mahra, a Nukhba elite member of Hamas' Martyr Abdul Raouf Nabhan battalion, as cited in the X post. Other anti-Hamas militias continue operations across the Gaza Strip, with at least one additional group attempting to establish itself as an armed organization against Hamas, the post stated. Hamas-linked channels have routinely published threats against the militias, labeling them as collaborators. The anti-Hamas militias persist in their activities and remain active challengers to Hamas control, according to the source.
