| Arrow Unit وحدة سهم وحدة سهم Wahdat Sahm | |
|---|---|
| Common name | Sahm unit |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | March 13, 2024 |
| Volunteers | All |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Parts of theGaza Strip underHamas control |
| Legal jurisdiction | Ministry of Internal Affairs |
| Governing body | Government of the Gaza Strip |
| Operational structure | |
| Overseen by | Ministry of Internal Affairs |
| Headquarters | Gaza City |
| Elected officer responsible |
|
| Parent agency |  Gaza Police |
TheArrow Unit (Arabic:وحدة سهم,romanized: Wahdat Sahm) is aplain-clothed police unit of theHamas-controlledpolice force in theGaza Strip that was formed in 2024 during theGaza war. The unit is a participant in theHamas–Popular Forces conflict.[1]
According toMondoweiss, the Arrow Unit was formed to hunt down looters andcollaborators with Israel as well as fight thePopular Forces. Reportedly, the unit obtains intelligence from the police about suspected thieves and collaborators, and then dispatches its men to apprehend them clandestinely.[2]
The Arrow Unit has frequently employedextrajudicial executions.[3] An official of theGazan interior ministry has stated that executions "set an example for others and prevent chaos from being the norm in Gaza". Not all looters or collaborators detained by the Arrow Unit are executed, with others being beaten or imprisoned.[2]
The groups operates aTelegram channel in which it publishes statements about its activities, threatens to arrest and or executePalestinians who break the law, and even posts videos of its executions.[4]
The unit's origins lie in groups of Gazan youths wearingski masks and black clothing who appeared at public areas subject to unrest, such as bread lines,ATMs, and markets, rounding up and beating suspected thieves. Their leader was believed to be an unnamed police officer.[2]
TheMinistry of the Interior in the Gaza Strip officially adopted the unit in March 2024, with the objectives of promoting internal stability and cooperating with local tribal committees to protect aid convoys. Police officers, members of theAl-Qassam Brigades, and members of local tribes joined the Arrow Unit's ranks.[5]
The Arrow Unit's first major operation during the Gaza war was a raid against the Israeli-backedPopular Forces on 19 November 2024, just after the latter had carried out theKerem Shalom aid convoy looting three days earlier. About 20 Popular Forces militants were killed in the operation.[2]
On 2 January, theFoundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) reported that an Israeli airstrike inKhan Yunis killed Major General Mahmoud Salah, the commander of Gaza's police force who reportedly established the Arrow Unit.[6]
On 3 May, the Arrow Unit announced a strict nightly curfew for the Gaza Strip with the pretext that it would facilitate the hunting down of collaborators and thieves. The unit stated that anyone who violated the curfew without justification would be treated as a collaborator.[3]
On 4 May, the unit claimed it would execute three Gazans for collaborating with Israel while also claiming that "the limbs of 13 thieves and people who incite chaos and anarchy will be amputated and their legs will be shot."[7]
On 10 May, the FDD reported that an Israeli airstrike in theSabra neighborhood ofGaza City killed the Arrow Unit's commander, Saqer Talib.[6]
On 12 June, the Arrow Unit detained and killed 12 people who it said were Popular Forces militants; the Israeli-backedGaza Humanitarian Foundation had claimed the dead were its aid workers.[8]
On 24 June, Gazan activists claimed that the Arrow Unit had beaten prominent anti-Hamas protester Ahmed Muhammad al Masry to the point of hospitalization.[9]
On 26 June, Arrow Unit members fled into theNasser Hospital after a feud with theBarabakh clan, due to Arrow Unit members shooting and killing one member of the family. Armed members of the family pursued the Arrow Unit members and the two groups then had a shootout in the hospital. Local reports state that the unit made use of ambulances and targeted the homes of Barbakh family members.[10][11]
On 17 September 2025 the Arrow Unit published a warning for theCounter-Terrorism Strike Force. The post accused Husam al-Astal, the group's leader, of working for thePalestinian Authority'spreventative security service and linked him to Israel'sMossad intelligence agency.[12]
According to theJerusalem Post, some Gazans oppose the Arrow Unit and accuse them of illicit bullying, harassment, executing civilians, stealing aid for themselves, and targeting local clans known to be less loyal to Hamas.[3]
According to the neoconservativeFoundation for Defense of Democracies, the Arrow Unit has been criticized for its usage of extrajudicial killings, extrajudicial beatings, lack of due process, frequently not providing evidence for accusations, and killing those speak out againstHamas.[4][11]