by Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – Israeli security officials have confirmed that the government has been arming a local militia operating in southern Gaza in an effort to undermine Hamas’s grip on the enclave, following public allegations made by opposition leader Avigdor Liberman.
The revelation, which has sparked fierce political backlash and international concern, centers on a group led by Yasser Abu-Shabab, a 32-year-old Bedouin from Rafah with a criminal background. According to defense sources, the group has received assault rifles, including Kalashnikovs seized from Hamas, with coordination between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet — but without formal approval from the Israeli security cabinet.
“The Israeli government is giving weapons to a group of criminals and felons, identified with Islamic State, at the direction of the prime minister,” Liberman charged during an interview with Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan. He claimed the decision bypassed standard cabinet protocols, with approval allegedly coming directly from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Despite the mounting scrutiny, the Prime Minister’s Office did not deny the reports, instead stating: “Israel is working to defeat Hamas in various ways, based on the recommendations of all heads of the security establishment.”
Abu-Shabab’s militia, known as The Popular Forces, has claimed to be protecting civilians and distributing aid in Israeli-controlled areas near the Kerem Shalom border crossing. However, humanitarian organizations and Palestinian sources accuse the group of looting aid convoys and extorting local residents. Footage online shows the militia manning checkpoints with uniforms labeled “Counter-Terrorism Mechanism,” though it has no official mandate.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-based NGO, publicly disassociated itself from the group, clarifying it has “no connection to armed actors” in Gaza.
Palestinian sources say Abu-Shabab escaped Hamas detention during an Israeli airstrike early in the war. He has since emerged as a symbol of Israeli-backed opposition to Hamas, though many see him as a warlord with a criminal past. His family has publicly disowned him, and Hamas’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, recently published video footage of a targeted explosion on his fighters — marking the first public acknowledgment of the group’s threat to Hamas.
Security officials cited humanitarian concerns and a need to protect aid convoys from Hamas as justification for arming the militia. Still, some within Israel’s security establishment warn that the weapons may eventually be turned against Israeli forces or civilians.
“This is not a sustainable strategy,” one unnamed official said. “We’re empowering unstable elements on the assumption they’ll act in our interests long-term — that’s a dangerous gamble.”
Critics have also pointed to Netanyahu’s previous policies of supporting Hamas financially to weaken the Palestinian Authority (PA), suggesting a continued pattern of manipulating Gaza’s internal divisions for strategic advantage.
Left-wing politician Yair Golan slammed the move as reckless and ideologically driven: “Netanyahu, who once funneled suitcases of cash to Hamas, is now arming a jihadist militia linked to ISIS. This is not accidental — it’s systematic. He’s endangering Israel’s security to hold onto power.”
While the government remains tight-lipped, the fallout from Liberman’s revelation may intensify calls for transparency — and heighten concerns over Israel’s long-term strategy in Gaza.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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