Hamas arrests head of Salafi jihadist group, dozens of followers in Gaza

Dozens of activists from Salafi groups were taken into custody by the internal security forces of Hamas over the last ten days and are now being held in interrogation centers in Gaza City following the arrest by Hamas of Abdullah Alashqar, one of the most senior Salafi jihadists in Gaza and a top member of Islamic State's "Sinai Province", earlier this month. Alashqar, a resident of the Notzrat refugee camp, is known for sending activists from Gaza to the Sinai. He is wanted by the security forces of both Israel and Hamas over his involvement in the shooting of rockets from Gaza at Israel. Alashqar has also been designated as a terrorist by the US State Department. Following the arrest of Alashqar, who is also called Abu Almachtaseb Almakdasi, Salafi organizations posted messages on social networks threatening to destroy Hamas, claiming that their leader's arrest would not affect their power.