Abstract
From March to July 2007, the British journalist Alan Johnston was held in the Gaza Strip by Jaysh al-Islam (the Army of Islam). It was later revealed that the epithet was an alias for a local group of families headed by the Dughmush
clan, which is said to have been recruited by al-Qaeda. According to some sources, it took a combination of Hamas’s military might and a hefty transfer of cash to convince the clan to give up its British hostage. Then, in late October 2007, serious fighting broke out near the city of Gaza between Hamas and another clan, the Gaza-based Hillis family, said to be Fatah supporters, in which four people were killed and scores injured. An entire neighborhood was leveled in the fighting, which ended in a cease-fire agreement. Intermittent fighting between Hamas and these clans continues to this day.
clan, which is said to have been recruited by al-Qaeda. According to some sources, it took a combination of Hamas’s military might and a hefty transfer of cash to convince the clan to give up its British hostage. Then, in late October 2007, serious fighting broke out near the city of Gaza between Hamas and another clan, the Gaza-based Hillis family, said to be Fatah supporters, in which four people were killed and scores injured. An entire neighborhood was leveled in the fighting, which ended in a cease-fire agreement. Intermittent fighting between Hamas and these clans continues to this day.
| Original language | English GB |
|---|---|
| Journal | Middle East Briefs |
| Volume | 26 |
| State | Published - 2008 |