Israel Arms Palestinian Militia in Gaza as ‘Opposition’ to Hamas

Recent military operations in the Gaza Strip have caused significant losses, but Israel appears to be exploring alternative methods to weaken the extremist Palestinian Islamic organization Hamas. Following the decapitation of Hamas’s military leadership, Israel is gradually preparing for the post-conflict situation and reality in Gaza. To achieve this, Israel has begun supplying weapons and ammunition to a group of Palestinians primarily active in Rafah, the southern part of the Gaza Strip, to act as an ‘opposition’ to Hamas. This armed organization, sometimes described as a ‘police force’ and other times as a ‘gang,’ is essentially a clan led by Yasser Abu Shabab, the head of the family. The weapons provided by Israel to Abu Shabab’s group were some of those seized from Hamas during the war, according to defense sources cited by the Times of Israel. The militia operates in Rafah, an area under Israeli military control. Last week, Hamas released a video targeting members of this specific group, which mainly consists of family members. Abu Shabab’s organization claims it ensures the safe passage of humanitarian aid vehicles entering Gaza, while others accuse the group of looting them. The arming of Abu Shabab’s organization was carried out without the approval of Israel’s security cabinet but was made possible by Israeli security bodies after receiving the green light from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to defense sources.