Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged the government’s use of armed gangs in Gaza to aid in its fight against Hamas, coinciding with a fresh wave of military assaults on the besieged enclave that resulted in the deaths of at least 52 Palestinians.
The statement, issued through a video message, marked the first official confirmation that Israel has supported armed Palestinian groups linked to powerful families, which humanitarian agencies have accused of looting aid and attacking civilians.
The armed factions, reportedly activated upon the advice of Israeli security officials, include groups such as the so-called Popular Forces led by Yasser Abu Shabab in Rafah, according to an Israeli official cited by the Associated Press.
An earlier report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz had detailed the group’s activities under a different name, with claims that it comprised roughly 100 men operating under the informal sanction of the Israeli military.
In recent weeks, the Abu Shabab group has announced its role in safeguarding humanitarian supply routes to new aid distribution centres supported by the US and Israel, which are being run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a body that has come under intense scrutiny following several deadly incidents.
Since last week, Israeli forces have opened fire on Palestinians seeking aid at GHF sites on at least four occasions, leaving over 100 dead and many more injured.
The use of such armed groups has stirred political controversy within Israel, with critics alleging that criminal enterprises are being armed with Israeli weapons, while international observers have raised alarm over the implications of outsourcing law and order to non-state actors in a war zone. The move, which appears to have bypassed full cabinet consultation, has intensified divisions within Israeli political circles.
As the Israeli military continued its bombardment across the coastal territory on Thursday, hospitals reported a surge in casualties. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis received 31 bodies, while 21 were taken to al-Ahli Arab and al-Shifa hospitals in Gaza City. Among the dead were four journalists reportedly killed in an Israeli attack on al-Ahli Hospital, also known as the Baptist Hospital.
Civilians described scenes of horror near hospitals and aid centres, with witnesses recounting the aftermath of strikes that left bodies dismembered and entire streets filled with the wounded. At least three Palestinians were killed in one such strike on al-Nasser Street near al-Shifa Hospital, with reports suggesting that children were among the dead.
Amid mounting global condemnation, the GHF temporarily suspended operations on Wednesday, though it has since announced the reopening of two distribution centres in Rafah, without providing a clear timeline for the resumption of aid delivery.