Wall Street Journal: Israel Secretly Relies on New Palestinian Militias to Counter Hamas in Gaza
The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel has quietly turned to newly formed Palestinian militias inside the Gaza Strip to confront Hamas, in a move aimed at bypassing restrictions imposed on the Israeli army under the ceasefire agreement.
According to the newspaper, these armed groups operate in areas under Israeli control but carry out attacks inside zones that are supposed to remain outside the scope of Israeli military operations. They benefit from direct support that includes intelligence sharing, drone-based aerial assistance, and various logistical supplies.
Israel’s reliance on these groups became publicly visible after Hussam al-Asatal, a leader of one such militia, openly claimed responsibility for killing a Hamas police official in the Al-Mawasi area and threatened to continue targeting members of the movement.
In a phone interview with the newspaper, al-Asatal said the police officer “was causing problems for people who wanted to come to us. He was harming us and shooting at anyone who tried to reach us,” adding that whoever replaces him “will be killed as well.”
In a recorded video message, al-Asatal appeared holding an assault rifle and issued a direct warning, saying: “We tell Hamas and everyone who belongs to Hamas: just as we reached them, we will reach you too.”
Tools of Occupation
Al-Asatal’s group reportedly consists of dozens of armed men living in a part of Gaza controlled by Israel. Hamas described the team that carried out the killing as “tools of the Israeli occupation” and warned that anyone cooperating with Israel would face severe punishment, stressing that “the price of betrayal is high and costly.”
Although al-Asatal denied receiving Israeli assistance beyond food supplies, testimonies from Israeli officials and soldiers indicate close coordination and direct Israeli intervention to protect him and his group when necessary.
Yaron Buskila, who served as a senior operations officer in the Israeli army’s Gaza Division until the ceasefire took effect in October, said Israeli forces monitor these groups and sometimes assist them. “We help them with intelligence, and if we see Hamas trying to threaten or approach them, we intervene actively,” he explained.
The Wall Street Journal noted that this cooperation, rooted in a shared hostility toward Hamas, has become a useful tool for Israel after the ceasefire limited the movement of its forces in Gaza. These militias can access areas under Hamas control that are officially off-limits to Israeli troops, such as Al-Mawasi, where the police officer was killed.
No Popular Support, No Legitimacy
The report also revealed that Israel has relied on other militias, including a group known as the “Popular Forces,” in complex field operations. These included attempts to lure Hamas fighters out of tunnels in Rafah, as well as direct participation in killings of Hamas members, some of which were documented and shared on social media.
An Israeli reserve soldier stationed in Gaza said he accompanied aid convoys supplying a militia in Rafah during the summer. The shipments included food, water, cigarettes, and sealed boxes with unknown contents, which were loaded onto vehicles by Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet.
According to the newspaper, this strategy comes amid Israel’s refusal to allow the Palestinian Authority to replace Hamas in governing Gaza, following the failure of earlier efforts to cooperate with local clans after Hamas eliminated figures proposed for local leadership roles.
While some militias have managed to survive and form small population clusters in Israeli-controlled areas, they have not succeeded in becoming a viable alternative to Hamas. This is due to their limited popularity, links to looting and criminal activity, and Hamas’s continued ability to reassert its influence.
Large segments of Gaza’s population view these groups as collaborators with Israel, further undermining their chances of gaining local legitimacy.
