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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Thursday that Israel has been providing weapons to criminal gangs in the Gaza Strip as part of efforts to strengthen opposition to Hamas' alleged rule in the enclave.
The revelation came after Israel's former defense minister Avigdor Liberman disclosed the weapons transfer during an interview with Israel's public broadcaster KAN, specifically identifying the Abu Shabab clan as recipients of Israeli arms.
"In consultation with security officials, we made use of clans in Gaza that are opposed to Hamas," Netanyahu said in a video statement. "What's wrong with that? It's only good. It saves the lives of Israeli soldiers."
Defense sources speaking on condition of anonymity to the Israeli media outlet Times of Israel confirmed that Israel has been arming the gang with Kalashnikov rifles, including weapons previously seized from Hamas during the ongoing war.
According to defense sources, the decision to arm the group was made without approval from Israel's security cabinet, bypassing normal procedures. Instead, Israeli security bodies led the initiative with Netanyahu's direct approval.
The Abu Shabab clan, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, operates in areas near the Kerem Shalom border crossing under Israeli military occupation.
Recent footage published online by Abu Shabab shows group members wearing military-style uniforms with Palestinian flags and "Counter-Terrorism Mechanism" emblazoned on them.
The group has been operating in Rafah, claiming to secure humanitarian aid convoys entering through southern border crossings, though others have accused the gang of looting these same convoys.
Liberman, who heads the opposition Yisrael Beiteinu party, criticized the weapons transfer as dangerous and procedurally flawed.
"The Israeli government is giving weapons to a group of criminals and felons, identified with Daesh, at the direction of the prime minister," Liberman stated. "To my knowledge, this did not go through approval by the cabinet."
Liberman warned that weapons provided to armed factions would eventually be turned against Israel, according to a report by KAN.
Hamas issued a statement Thursday condemning the Israeli weapons transfer, saying the comments by Israeli leaders proved Israel was "arming criminal gangs in Gaza to create social and security chaos."
The group warned that "these gangs operate under direct Israeli security oversight and are cheap tools in the hands of the enemy and will be pursued and held accountable by our people's forces."
Former Israel Security Agency, aka Shin Bet, official Shalom Ben Hanan, who retired in 2022 after 27 years with the agency, supported the weapons transfer strategy.
"According to reports, the phenomenon of arming Palestinian tribal gangs to harm Hamas is a positive development—this is saving the lives of our soldiers," Ben Hanan told The Jerusalem Post.
He argued that if Gaza Palestinians can fight Hamas and push the group out of certain areas, Israeli soldiers will face lower risk from Hamas' ambushes in those sectors.
The weapons transfer forms part of Israel's broader strategy to create "sterile," Hamas-free zones in southern Gaza, stretching from the Egyptian border to Khan Younis city. Israeli officials indicate plans to extend the "Rafah model" of Hamas-free zones to other parts of Gaza as part of their stated goal of destroying Hamas.
A video on Abu Shabab's Facebook page recently encouraged families from eastern Rafah to return to the area. The video promised food and housing while claiming that large areas had been "purified."
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