Wall Street Reveals Israel's Support for New Militias in Gaza Against Hamas

The Wall Street Journal reported on Israel's unannounced reliance on new Palestinian militias inside the Gaza Strip to confront the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), a move aimed at circumventing restrictions imposed on the Israeli army under the ceasefire agreement, according to the newspaper. These armed groups operate in Israeli-controlled areas but carry out attacks within areas supposedly outside the scope of Israeli military operations, benefiting from direct support including intelligence, aerial support from drones, and various supplies.

Israel's reliance on these groups became public when Hussam Al-Astal, a leader of one of these militias, boasted about claiming responsibility for killing a Hamas police official in the Al-Mawasi area, threatening to continue targeting members of the movement. Al-Astal told the newspaper in a phone interview, speaking about the policeman, that he "was causing problems for people who wanted to come to us. He was hurting us. Anyone who tried to reach us was shot. And whoever replaces him will be killed." Al-Astal said in a video message, in which he appeared brandishing an assault rifle, "We say to Hamas and to everyone who belongs to Hamas: just as we reached them, we will reach you too."

Tools for Occupation

Al-Astal's group includes dozens of armed men living in a part of Gaza controlled by Israel. Hamas described the team that carried out the killing as "tools for the Israeli occupation" and threatened to punish those who cooperate with Israel, saying that "the price of betrayal is high and costly."

Al-Astal denied receiving any assistance from Israel except food, but testimonies from Israeli officials and soldiers confirm close coordination and Israeli intervention to protect him and his group when needed. Yaron Buskila, who served as a senior operations officer in the Israeli army's Gaza Division until the ceasefire came into effect in October, said, "When they go and carry out activities against Hamas, we are there to monitor them and sometimes to help them. This means helping them with information, and if we see Hamas trying to threaten them or approach them, we intervene effectively."

The American newspaper believes that this cooperation, which arose from a shared animosity towards Hamas, is a useful tool for Israel after its forces were restricted by the terms of the ceasefire in Gaza, as these militias can access areas under Hamas control that are supposed to be off-limits to Israeli forces, such as Al-Mawasi where Al-Astal's men killed the police official.

No Popularity, No Legitimacy

The Wall Street Journal report indicates Israel's use of other militias, such as the "Popular Forces," in complex field operations, including an attempt to lure Hamas fighters out of tunnels in Rafah, in addition to their participation in killings of movement members, documented with video clips published on social media.

An Israeli reserve soldier stationed in Gaza said he accompanied aid convoys supplying a militia in Rafah during the summer, and the supplies included food, water, cigarettes, and sealed boxes with unknown contents, placed in vehicles by the Israeli internal security service (Shin Bet).

This policy, according to the newspaper, comes amid the Israeli government's refusal to replace Hamas with the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, and after the failure of previous attempts to cooperate with local clans due to Hamas's elimination of candidates for local governance.

Despite some militias managing to survive and form small communities in Israeli-controlled areas, they have not yet succeeded in becoming a real alternative to Hamas, due to their limited popularity, some being linked to looting and criminal activities, and Hamas's continued ability to re-establish its influence. A large segment of Gaza's population also views these groups as collaborators with Israel, which limits their ability to gain local legitimacy.