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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged only that Israel had been working with “clans.” But the opposition leader warned that the “weapons going into Gaza will eventually be pointed at Israeli soldiers and civilians.”
June 5, 2025Updated 5:23 p.m. ET
Israel has been arming a Palestinian militia in Gaza as part of a broader effort to fight Hamas in the enclave, according to officials. After a daylong controversy over the allegations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel acknowledged on Thursday that the country had been working with “clans in Gaza.”
Two Israeli officials and another person familiar with the matter said the Israeli authorities had provided support, including weapons, to Yasser Abu Shabab, a well-known gunman who leads the militia in southern Gaza. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.
Mr. Abu Shabab is believed to command a relatively small armed group in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. He became notorious in the territory last year amid accusations — which he disputed — that he had looted and resold truckloads of humanitarian aid intended for hungry Gazans.
One of the people described Israel’s move as more symbolic — to bolster the impression that Hamas was losing its grip over Gaza’s Palestinian residents.
It was not clear what effect the move to arm a Palestinian militia would have on the security situation in Gaza. But Israel’s decision offered a window into the country’s struggles to find an alternative to Hamas’s rule in the territory after more than a year and a half of war — and its willingness to experiment with potentially risky strategies to do so.
Mr. Netanyahu said Israel had “activated clans in Gaza that oppose Hamas,” calling it “a good thing” that saved the lives of Israeli soldiers. “What’s wrong with that?” he asked in a video posted on social media, saying he decided to approve the move after being advised by security officials. But he avoided any mention of sending weapons.
