Rami Hilles (Popular Defence Forces)
Rami Hilles (رامي حلس), born in 1979, is reportedly a former member of the Palestinian Authority’s Presidential Guard and a member of Fatah. He leads the ‘Popular Defence Forces’ – a small group of fighters based in the Shuja’iyya neighbourhood of Gaza City. Hilles claims to be working in coordination with the Palestinian Authority.
Hilles is from a notable Palestinian clan of the same name, centred in Shuja’iyya, with longstanding ties to the PA and Fatah.