Tel Aviv/Gaza City – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed for the first time that his government is supporting armed Palestinian factions in Gaza, revealing that local clan militias are being used to assist in the military campaign against Hamas.
In a video statement posted to X on Thursday, Netanyahu said that “powerful local clans” had been “activated” in Gaza based on recommendations from Israeli security officials. His admission followed accusations by former Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman that Netanyahu had quietly approved the controversial strategy.
The revelation came amid intensified military operations in the besieged coastal enclave, where at least 52 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday alone, according to medical sources.
Arming Clans to Fight Hamas
An Israeli official speaking to The Associated Press identified one of the supported groups as the “Popular Forces,” led by Yasser Abu Shabab, a well-known clan leader in Rafah. The group, reportedly consisting of around 100 armed men, had previously been highlighted in Israeli newspaper Haaretz under the name “Anti-Terror Service,” allegedly operating with tacit backing from the Israeli military.
The Popular Forces have publicly claimed responsibility for guarding aid shipments to distribution centers run by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). However, aid workers accuse the clan-based groups of looting humanitarian supplies and terrorizing civilians in the name of security.
Critics inside Israel have condemned the decision to arm these factions. “These are armed criminal enterprises operating in a war zone,” said Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut, reporting from Amman, Jordan. “Opposition figures argue that arming such groups without broader cabinet consultation is reckless and dangerous.”
Mounting Civilian Deaths and Humanitarian Collapse
Thursday’s attacks continued the deadly pattern that has come to define Israel’s war in Gaza. Hospital officials reported 31 bodies arriving at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, and 21 more at Gaza City’s al-Ahli Arab and al-Shifa hospitals. Among the dead were at least four journalists, killed in an airstrike on al-Ahli, also known as the Baptist Hospital.
Eyewitnesses described horrific scenes on al-Nasser Street near al-Shifa Hospital. “I saw a man in pieces,” said local resident Fadi al-Hindi. “He had been riding a bicycle. The lower half of his body was gone. Everyone was wounded, and we were collecting body parts.”
The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported additional casualties across the enclave, including three children and several individuals near aid distribution points.
Israeli forces reportedly opened fire near Wadi Gaza on civilians attempting to access food supplies, worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis exacerbated by Israel’s ongoing blockade of the territory.
GHF Condemned for Distribution Center Carnage
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a new player in the region’s aid efforts, suspended operations briefly after deadly incidents at its facilities resulted in over 100 deaths in recent days. The organization has been accused by former UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness of turning Gaza into a “human abattoir.”
“Hundreds of civilians are herded like animals into fenced-off pens and slaughtered like cattle,” said Gunness.
The GHF said Thursday it would reopen two centers in Rafah but gave no timeline for the resumption of full operations.
Hamas Says Ceasefire Talks Ongoing
In a separate development, senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya said the group had not rejected a recent ceasefire proposal brought forward by US special envoy Steve Witkoff. Speaking in a prerecorded address, al-Hayya said Hamas was open to further negotiations but had requested amendments to ensure a permanent end to hostilities.
Israel, which broke off a previous truce in March, has so far remained silent on the current round of mediation.
As the war enters its ninth month, civilians in Gaza continue to face bombardment, hunger, and political uncertainty — now compounded by the presence of Israeli-armed militias operating among them.
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