'Israel' activated Palestinian clans against Hamas, says Netanyahu

'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly claimed on Thursday that 'Israel' has “activated” certain Palestinian clans in Gaza that oppose Hamas, marking the first official confirmation of 'Israeli' support for armed Palestinian groups within the enclave.

Netanyahu’s comments, made via a social media video, did not specify the exact nature of the support or the specific roles these clans would play. He said the move was taken on the advice of “security officials” to protect 'Israeli' soldiers and save lives.

Who are the clans?

The clans Netanyahu referred to are reportedly extended Palestinian families that exert influence over parts of Gaza and have, at times, clashed with Hamas. An 'Israeli' official stated that the intended group is the Popular Forces, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, a local clan leader in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city.

In recent weeks, Abu Shabab’s group publicly declared its fighters were assisting in securing shipments to 'Israeli'-backed food distribution centers run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah. However, Palestinians and aid workers have accused the group of also attacking and looting aid convoys.

Controversy, conflicting claims

The Abu Shabab family itself has distanced from Yasser Abu Shabab, denouncing his ties with the 'Israeli' military and stating that he and his followers “are no longer linked” to the family.

The group's office told the Associated Press that their operations in 'Israeli'-controlled areas are for “purely humanitarian” reasons, claiming their relationship with 'Israeli' forces is limited to communication aimed at ensuring aid delivery is not intercepted.

“We are not proxies for anyone,” the group said, denying receiving any military or logistical support. They claimed they only took “the minimum amount of food and water necessary to secure their elements in the field,” dismissing accusations of looting as exaggerations and part of a smear campaign.

Aid workers report violence and looting

Aid workers and officials provide a different account. Nahed Sheheiber, head of Gaza’s private transportation union supporting aid delivery, accused Abu Shabab’s fighters of repeatedly attacking aid trucks on routes from the Kerem Shalom crossing, Gaza’s main entry point for humanitarian shipments.

“Our trucks were attacked many times by the Abu Shabab gang, and the Israeli military did nothing,” Sheheiber said. “The ones who looted aid are now the ones protecting it,” he added sarcastically.

An aid worker, speaking anonymously, said attempts last year to negotiate with Abu Shabab and other influential families to stop looting were short-lived, with convoys soon targeted again.

International humanitarian perspective

Jonathan Whittall, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian territories, confirmed on Thursday that criminal gangs, operating with 'Israeli' forces’ tacit approval near the Kerem Shalom crossing, have systematically attacked and looted aid convoys.

“These gangs have by far been the biggest cause of aid loss in Gaza,” Whittall said.