Al-Aqsa Guardians

An armed Palestinian faction in the Gaza Strip operating under Hamas’s guidance. The faction was established in April 2006 by Hamas Interior Minister Said Siyam. He was killed in an Israeli strike in January 2009, after which Fathi Hamad, a senior Hamas figure, was appointed commander. The faction numbers hundreds of activists and carries out sniper attacks, IED placement, and rocket fire under Hamas’s guidance. The organization’s activities are concentrated in northern Gaza.