Jerusalem (AP) – Israel is backing Palestinian armed groups in Gaza as part of its strategy to counter Hamas. However, UN officials and aid organizations claim that this support is allowing the military to seize food and other essential supplies from aid trucks.
The newly formed militia, known as the popular army under the leadership of Yasser Abu Shabab, asserts that it is established and safeguarded by an Israel-supported food distribution center in southern Gaza. Aid workers report that the group has a history of looting UN trucks.
Armed factions in Gaza often operate in association with influential clans and larger families, frequently behaving like criminal gangs. Aid workers contend that Israeli support for these groups is part of a broader effort to control all aid operations within the territory.
Israel has refuted claims that it allows such groups to function in areas dominated by looters.
Here’s what we know about the anti-Hamas armed factions in Gaza:
Who are these groups?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a social media video on Thursday that Israel has “energized” clans in Gaza to stand against Hamas.
He did not provide specifics on how Israel supports these groups or how they are expected to contribute to the conflict. Netanyahu’s remarks were a response to political critics who accused Gaza’s “criminal families” of providing arms to them.
Clans, tribes, and large families hold significant sway in Gaza, with their leaders often mediating disputes. Some have historically been armed to defend the interests of their group, while others have evolved into gangs involved in drug trafficking and extortion.
Since seizing power in 2007, Hamas has intermittently cracked down on these gangs—sometimes with tacit approval and sometimes on their own initiative.
However, after a prolonged conflict with Israel, Hamas’s authority diminished, allowing gangs greater freedom to operate. Leaders from several clans, including those lauded by members of the Abu Shabab group, have publicly condemned their looting activities and collaboration with Israel.
Self-proclaimed “nationalist”
Aside from the Abu Shabab group, the extent of Israeli support for other armed factions remains unclear.
The Abu Shabab group announced its formation in early May, declaring itself a “nationalist” organization committed to safeguarding aid. They indicated a partnership with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is primarily supported by American private contractors aiming to replace Israel’s inactive aid infrastructure. Estimates suggest the group comprises hundreds of fighters.
The media office of the Abu Shabab group informed The Associated Press that it will collaborate with the GHF to “ensure food and medicine reach their intended recipients.” While they are not involved in distribution, they claimed to secure the perimeter of a GHF-operated distribution center in the Rafa area, which is under military control.
A spokesman for the GHF clarified that there is “no collaboration” with the Abu Shabab group.
“We employ local Palestinian workers who take great pride in their work, but none are armed and none belong to the Abu Shabab organization,” the spokesman stated, requesting anonymity in line with group regulations.
Prior to the conflict, Yasser Abu Shabab was involved in smuggling cigarettes and drugs from Egypt and Israel through crossings and tunnels, according to relatives who were formerly part of his group. While Hamas arrested him, they released him from prison as well as many other inmates when the war commenced in October 2023.
Abu Shabab’s media office asserted he was summoned by police prior to the war but was neither formally charged nor tried. The group has also claimed involvement in commandeering aid trucks, stating that fighters have “reduced the amount of food and water needed.”
Aid workers say it’s been known for looting
The president of the Gaza association, which provides trucks and drivers to the aid group, reported that Abu Shabab fighters have attacked members’ vehicles multiple times.
Nahed Sheheiber highlighted that the group is active in eastern Rafa and Khan Younis, targeting trucks that enter Gaza from Kerem Shalom, the Israel crossing. He lamented that nearby troops “didn’t intervene” to stop the attacks.
Shehiver mentioned that when Hamas police attempted to confront the gangs and secure truck convoys, they faced aggression from Israeli forces.
One driver, Isamu Abu Awda, recounted being assaulted by an Abu Shabab fighter last July. The fighter halted his truck, blindfolded and handcuffed him and his assistant, then unloaded supplies from the vehicle, he claimed. Ab Awda asserted that nearby Israeli troops did not respond.
According to Jonathan Whittall, such attacks persist, revealing “disturbing patterns,” as noted by UN humanitarian coordinator OCHA. “It seems they were protected by the Israeli forces’ ‘blocked and heavily plundered aid trucks,'” said Whittall, referring specifically to the GHF run center.
Israeli forces have not responded to requests for comments regarding allegations of permitting armed groups to loot aid trucks. Nevertheless, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office dismissed such claims as “fake news,” asserting that “Israel did not permit marauders to operate in its controlled areas.”
Israel frequently accuses Hamas of pilfering from aid trucks.
What does this all have to do with aid?
Muhammad Shehada, a political analyst in Gaza and a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, expressed skepticism regarding whether Israel’s backing of armed groups was genuinely aimed at combating Hamas directly. So far, there have been no endeavors to deploy these groups against extremist factions.
Instead, Shehada asserts that Israel is manipulating chaos and looting to present the GHF “as the sole option for delivering food to the Palestinians.”
Israel is aiming for the GHF to replace the inactive aid network, contending that Hamas has absorbed much of the resources. The United Nations dismisses the notion that a significant quantity has been appropriated by Hamas. Israel further claims its goal is to relocate all Palestinians in Gaza to a “sterile zone” in the south.
The United Nations and aid organizations have rejected the use of aid as a means of forced migration. The Abu Shabab Group has released an online video encouraging Palestinians to migrate to a tent camp in Rafa.
Israel has prohibited all food and other supplies from entering Gaza for 2.5 months, pending the start of GHF – a blockade that has thrust the population to the brink of starvation. The GHF commenced distributing food boxes on May 26th from three hubs safeguarded by civilian contractors within Israeli military zones.
Israel contributed several trucks for distribution by the United Nations. However, the UN reports that very few have actually reached the Palestinian population due to Israeli military restrictions.
“It’s a way for Israel to convey a message to the UN. If you aim to get assistance into Gaza, this is a rather tricky arrangement,” Shehada observed. “We’re forcing you to navigate through a path where everything you bring is at risk of being stolen.”
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Magiddy and Keith reported from Cairo
Source: apnews.com