Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged that his government is arming local clans in Gaza as part of a covert campaign to weaken Hamas, drawing harsh criticism from political opponents and security officials.
In a video statement posted Thursday, Netanyahu said the effort involved activating “clans in Gaza which oppose Hamas,” a move he claimed would “save the lives of Israeli soldiers.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu from Yeruham.
Made english subtitles (ai generated). https://t.co/0t65pVT2f5 pic.twitter.com/GDzcFRr5aR
— רומן 🇮🇱 (@romkri) June 5, 2025
The admission came after Avigdor Lieberman, a former defense minister and leader of the opposition Yisrael Beiteinu party, revealed on Israeli Channel 12 News that the government was supplying rifles to extremist groups inside Gaza. Lieberman called the operation “complete madness,” alleging that Israel was “giving weapons to a group of criminals and felons, identified with Islamic State, at the direction of the prime minister.” A day later, speaking on Israel’s Army Radio, Liberman escalated his criticism, saying, “We’re talking about the equivalent of ISIS in Gaza.”
Among the groups reportedly receiving Israeli arms is a militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab, a Rafah-based clan leader with a history of criminal activity. Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that Abu Shabab’s group, known as the “Popular Forces” or “Anti-Terror Service,” received Kalashnikov rifles and other weapons seized from Hamas.
🇵🇸 #Palestine – 🇮🇱 #Israel: A new armed group led by Yasser Abu Shabab has emerged in Rafah, reportedly operating under Israeli military oversight. This militia has been implicated in the looting of humanitarian aid convoys and obstructing relief efforts.
Abu Shabab is a… pic.twitter.com/HJdXwUI39J
— POPULAR FRONT (@PopularFront_) June 3, 2025
Claims of collaboration between Abu Shabab’s group and Israeli forces have circulated among Palestinian factions. Hamas-aligned media allege that videos show his fighters operating alongside Israeli troops in areas under IDF control.
In response, Abu Shabab’s family issued a public statement disowning him. “We, like everyone else, were surprised by video footage broadcast by the resistance,” the statement read, accusing him of supporting Israeli operations. It added, “We will not accept Yasser’s return… his blood is forfeit.”
SOFX has not been able to locate or independently verify the existence of any such footage.
In a written response to the Associated Press, Abu Shabab’s group said it operates in Israeli-controlled areas for “purely humanitarian” reasons and claimed it was securing the surroundings of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution centers in Rafah.
However, Jonathan Whittall, head of the U.N. humanitarian office (OCHA) for the occupied Palestinian territory, said on May 28 that gangs operating near the Kerem Shalom crossing had looted aid convoys “under the watch of Israeli forces.”
GHF announced Friday that it was suspending all aid distribution operations due to excessive overcrowding at its Rafah sites, stating the conditions had made it unsafe to proceed.
In a November 2024 interview with The New York Times, Abu Shabab denied widespread looting but acknowledged that his fighters had “raided half a dozen or so” aid trucks since the start of the war. “We are taking trucks so we can eat, not so we can sell,” he said, claiming the aid was used to meet basic needs. He also blamed Hamas for most of the thefts, an allegation the group denied.
According to the most recent report by The New York Times, additional allegations have been made by truck drivers, Gaza-based transport companies, and international aid officials accusing Abu Shabab’s group of looting flour from humanitarian convoys.
Netanyahu’s office defended the operation in a statement, saying Israel is “acting to defeat Hamas in various ways upon the recommendation of all the heads of the security establishment.” But critics argue that the strategy lacks long-term planning and poses new security risks.
Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats in the Knesset, accused Netanyahu of “creating a new ticking timebomb in Gaza” instead of focusing on hostage negotiations and national security. “Netanyahu is a threat to Israel’s national security,” Golan posted on social media.
נתניהו שהעביר מיליארדים לחמאס במזוודות מזומן, מתוך קונספציה שגויה שחמאס הוא “נכס” ושזה ייגמר בכפכפים, מקדם עכשיו קונספציה מסוכנת חדשה: חימוש מליציה עזתית עם זיקה לדאעש.
נתניהו מסוכן לביטחון ישראל. במקום להביא עסקה, לייצר הסדרים עם הציר הסוני המתון ולהחזיר את החטופים ואת הביטחון…
— Yair Golan – יאיר גולן (@YairGolan1) June 5, 2025
The initiative reportedly bypassed the Israeli security cabinet, according to two officials cited by CNN, raising concerns over the lack of oversight. Lieberman warned that the weapons could ultimately be turned against Israeli forces, a sentiment echoed by other officials.
Hamas condemned the move as an effort to sow chaos in Gaza. In a statement Thursday, the militant group accused Israel of “arming criminal gangs in the Gaza Strip with the aim of creating a state of insecurity and social chaos.”
As of Thursday, Hamas is still holding 56 hostages. Israeli authorities announced they recovered the bodies of two dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, Judi Weinstein Haggai and Gad Haggai, taken during the October 7 attack.
Netanyahu has not publicly outlined a long-term plan for governance in Gaza after the war, and critics warn the militia strategy could undermine Israel’s stated goals of disarming Hamas and restoring stability.
