In a highly irresponsible move, Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Lieberman revealed classified information in a radio interview on Thursday morning, stating that Israel is aiding a Gazan militia in the southern Gaza Strip to protect themselves against Hamas.
In the wake of the leak, the military censor approved the publication for the first time: in recent months, Israel has armed a local Palestinian militia in the Gaza Strip as part of an effort to create a counterforce to Hamas.
This is an armed force operating under the leadership of Yasser Abu Shabab — a prominent local figure identified with the opposition to Hamas.
According to security sources, Israel is assisting the Yasser Abu Shabab clan in the Rafah area, an area that was captured in recent weeks by IDF forces. Some of the weapons Israel provided to the clan, including Kalashnikov rifles, were seized from Hamas during IDF operations in the Strip.
The tasks of the militia members include protecting the humanitarian aid convoys that arrive in the Strip, as well as assisting in the fight against Hamas terrorists who remain in the area.
The move, formulated in cooperation with security officials, was approved by Prime Minister Netanyahu and did not require formal security cabinet approval.
As of now, the Abu Shabab militia is the only Gazan body with which Israel cooperates directly. There is no similar cooperation with other clans or factions in the Strip.
This revelation illustrates the dramatic changes taking place in the Gaza sector and Israel’s willingness to act in unconventional ways in the ongoing struggle against Hamas rule.
The move, which Netanyahu’s office did not deny, drew angry reactions from the opposition, including from Lieberman himself, who wrote, “Don’t give them rifles,” alluding to the old song that became a slogan against the Oslo Accords.
Netanyahu responded earlier to the report and said in a press release, “Israel is working to defeat Hamas in various and diverse ways on the recommendation of all the heads of the security establishment.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
Hamas thanks you for publishing this.
Now they will execute them.
Why is Lieberman not arrested for treason against the state? He is totally irresponsible and, like all leftists, calculates every move he makes, with the intent to topple Bibi!
Chachmei Chelsea arming the next generation terrorists
Today they are fighting Hamas in order to get power tomorrow they will fight, who?
Israelis????
What are the Israelis thinking? That this new group didn’t celebrate Oct. 7? That Yasser Abu Shabab doesn’t want to kill any Israelis?
Are they looking for trouble from another militant group?
Crooked thinking!
Smart move.
Its closed minded to think that loyalties cannot change. Just like UAE. Everyone has a price, and if one can capitalize on that, thats good. The only issue is to continue to monitor.
Harbeh shluchim osim – Makkos daf yud or thereabouts.
Also, yes, Leiberman should be prosecuted for treason
Leiberman is the only one with clean hands in this. He warned for years that Hamas was planning an incursion, and he was pushed aside. We may not like his attitude towards the religious public but vis a vis Hamas and the PA, he pulls no punches. The rest of the blind leadership, both political and security has failed to learn any lessons from past mistakes. We armed the PA after Oslo, and Bibi propped up Hamas hoping they would be a better alternative to the PA. Both policies were abject failures. Doing the same thing and thinking the outcome will be different is just plain stupid.
Good. Let them be in the front lines and fight instead of Israeli soldiers getting killed.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The US empowered Bin Laden in the ‘80s when he was fighting Saddam Hussein.
The guy is a Yankees fan. No wonder he’s so treacherous.