Israel has stepped up cooperation with armed, anti-Hamas militias in the Gaza Strip, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. The Israel Defense Forces and the country’s security establishment are providing the militias with extensive support, including aerial assistance via drones, intelligence sharing, weapons, food and cigarettes, according to the report.
The depth of Israel’s involvement was revealed earlier this month when Hussam al-Astal, a leader of one of the groups, boasted in a video statement about the killing of a Hamas police officer in the al-Muwasi area, a zone that is supposed to be outside the IDF’s area of operations. “We say to Hamas and to everyone associated with it: just as we reached him, we will reach you as well,” al-Astal declared.
IDF reserve officers and official sources confirmed that some wounded militia members were evacuated to Israel to receive medical treatment. Yaron Buskila, a former operations officer in the IDF Gaza Division, told the newspaper that Israel closely monitors the militias’ activities.
“When they act against Hamas, we are there to observe them and sometimes to assist with intelligence or active intervention if they are under threat,” he said.
Former security officials warned of long-term consequences, drawing parallels to the fate of the South Lebanon Army.
“A militia’s primary interest is the militia itself, and it can turn against you,” warned Sa’ar Tzur, a senior reserve officer.
Knesset member Yulia Malinovsky (Yisrael Beiteinu) responded to the report with sharp criticism.
“There is no limit to the foolishness and failed concepts. This is exactly how [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu built up Hamas, and now he is doing the same thing with these new militias,” she said. “You cannot on the one hand demand the complete demilitarization of Gaza, and on the other hand supply weapons, which will eventually reach Hamas, into the Strip, while at the same time the prime minister agrees to the reopening of smuggling routes at the Rafah crossing in both directions. These weapons will be turned against us. We have already seen this movie,” she added.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
