Tensions emerge between ‘Israel’ army, Shin Bet over fate of local militias in Gaza

Reports from Hebrew-language media reveal a sharp dispute between the ‘Israeli’ army and the internal security agency Shin Bet (Shabak) over the future of local militias, including the group led by Yasser Abu Shabab, active in eastern Rafah.

The disagreement highlights a lack of unified strategy within the security establishment regarding the “day after” the Gaza war, reflecting the deep dilemma between protecting collaborators and fearing they may become a future security threat.

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During military operations in Gaza, ‘Israeli’ forces reportedly established and managed armed groups under direct Shin Bet supervision. These militias, armed with weapons seized from resistance stockpiles in Gaza and Lebanon, carried out intelligence gathering, monitored areas vacated by Palestinian resistance factions.

According to Israel Hayom, a high-level security debate revealed sharply contrasting views. Shin Bet proposed relocating these militia members to secured camps inside the Gaza border area after the war, as a temporary measure to protect them from retaliation while maintaining full security control.

The army strongly opposed this plan, with the Southern Command arguing that the potential threat posed by these armed groups to civilians in nearby settlements outweighed any ethical obligation to protect them. Intelligence reports from Aman further reinforced the army’s position, noting that some militia members had reportedly fled back to resistance factions after receiving promises of amnesty from Hamas.

The dispute underscores the unresolved challenges of managing local collaborators amid ongoing aggression and the complexities of Gaza’s security landscape.