GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Hamas has had a fluctuating relationship with Gaza’s large and influential families since taking power. While Hamas benefited from these families to win the parliamentary elections of 2006, it considered them — upon taking control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 — a security threat. Shortly after assuming power, it began to undermine their powers to its favor. Recently, however, it has started to reinforce some of their roles, mainly concerning solving internal societal problems.

The Hamas-led government in Gaza relies on prominent families to solve societal issues and disputes between families, removed from the judicial and governmental institutions.

Hussein al-Serhi, the director-general of the Tribal Affairs and Conciliation Department at the Gaza Interior Ministry, told Al-Monitor that his department helps resolve approximately 20,000 cases per year, through 600 certified mediators spread across the Gaza Strip. “Many people prefer to solve their disputes through the clans and families, because doing so is faster than resorting to the courts, where cases can remain pending for years,” he said.

Given the Islamic ideology embraced by the movement, any allegiance pledged to it must also be founded on an Islamic, religious and ideological basis and not on a tribal one, as is the case of several other political parties. To gain popularity, Hamas relied on its Islamic ideology and military success against Israel. These two factors later would become the points of strength of Hamas and the communication portal with the people through affiliated mosques and charities.