Netanyahu Confirms Israel Armed Anti-Hamas Militia in Gaza, Stirring Controversy
In a stunning revelation that has sparked controversy both within Israel and internationally, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that Israel has been supporting and arming a Gaza-based militia opposed to Hamas, the militant group that has governed the coastal enclave for nearly two decades.
Netanyahu’s confirmation came after former defense minister Avigdor Liberman publicly claimed that the Israeli government had supplied weapons to what he described as “a group of criminals and felons” operating in Gaza—an allegation that prompted sharp debate and raised concerns about the unintended consequences of such covert operations.
“What did Liberman leak? That security sources activated a clan in Gaza that opposes Hamas? What is bad about that?” Netanyahu said in a video posted to social media on Thursday. “It is only good. It is saving the lives of Israeli soldiers.”
According to Israeli and Palestinian media reports, the group in question is believed to be led by Yasser Abu Shabab, a controversial figure heading a local Bedouin clan operating in the southern Rafah area of Gaza, near the border with Egypt.
The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), a prominent international think tank, has described Abu Shabab as the head of a “criminal gang” widely accused of looting humanitarian aid convoys—including UN relief trucks—intended for Gaza’s besieged population.
The revelation has triggered alarm among analysts and rights groups, with some comparing Israel’s approach to dangerous proxy war tactics seen in past international conflicts. Critics warn the move may deepen Gaza’s internal chaos and tarnish Israel’s global standing.
“It seems the Shin Bet or the military thought it was a wonderful idea to turn this gang into a proxy—giving them weapons, money, and shelter,” said Michael Milshtein, a leading expert on Palestinian affairs at Tel Aviv University’s Moshe Dayan Center.
Milshtein described the group as involved in drug trafficking and cross-border smuggling, with limited ideological cohesion and a history of internal feuds and lawlessness. He noted that four members of the clan were recently executed by Hamas, accused of collaboration with Israel.
While Netanyahu framed the operation as a pragmatic tool to weaken Hamas and protect Israeli forces, critics are likening the strategy to arming criminal elements with no long-term loyalty or stability.
“This is not a strategy—it’s a fantasy,” Milshtein warned. “I really hope it will not end in catastrophe.”
The self-styled militia, known locally as “The Popular Forces,” denied being in league with Israel. In a defiant Facebook statement, the group insisted it had “never been, and will never be, a tool of the occupation,” and claimed its weapons were “simple, outdated, and sourced through the support of our own people.”
Hamas, already under intense pressure after more than 19 months of war with Israel, condemned the militia as traitorous and accused it of collaborating in the orchestration of humanitarian crises.
The group claimed to possess clear evidence of coordination between the militia, Israeli forces, and collaborators to loot aid convoys and undermine civilian morale.
“They have chosen betrayal and theft as their path,” Hamas said in an official statement, calling on Gaza residents to reject and resist such groups.
The episode draws parallels to Cold War-era tactics where governments empowered militias or criminal actors to fight proxy wars, often with unintended blowback.
Similar strategies in Iraq and Afghanistan involving warlords and local factions led to long-term instability and undermined state-building efforts, according to foreign policy analysts.
Though Israel has long accused Hamas of diverting or looting humanitarian aid, this new strategy may blur the moral and strategic lines between fighting terrorism and enabling disorder, critics argue.
