Israel Arms fresh 'Anti-Hamas' Militias In Gaza: Report

Via The Cradle

Israeli media reported Thursday on the presence of two new, Israeli-backed armed groups operating against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli news outlet Ynet, “one group is active in Gaza City, and the other in Khan Yunis” – where the Israeli military is currently present.

Ynet had previously reported, citing sources affiliated with the Palestinian Authority (PA), that „new Fatah-aligned militias would soon begin operations in the strip.” The same sources told the outlet this week that “these are the very groups now coordinating directly with the IDF,” with both receiving salaries from the PA.

Illustrative file image, via Flash90

One of the groups is based in Gaza City’s Shujaiya neighborhood – an area known historically as a hotbed of resistance, where Israeli forces are currently preparing to escalate operations. This faction is reportedly linked to Rami Halles, an anti-Hamas activist in Gaza linked to the PA Fatah party.

The Halles clan has had bad blood with Hamas since the Islamist’s movement’s takeover of Gaza years ago. “Halles and his men are heavily armed and are now receiving Israeli protection and operational cover,” sources cited by Ynet say.

The second militia, based in the southern city of Khan Yunis, is said to be led by a man named Yasser Hnaidek, who “is receiving Israeli aid – both in weapons and humanitarian supplies – as well as a salary from the PA.” He also hails from a Fatah-linked family in Gaza, according to what has been circulating.

Hnaidek has denied involvement in any such organization. In a video circulating on social media on Thursday, he refutes reports in Hebrew media that he has cooperated with Israel, affirming, “I am with the resistance and the internal front in Gaza,” adding that “Hamas knows who I am.”

The Halles clan has also released a statement denying “any act of treason or cooperation with Israel.”

The Ynet report follows recent information about an Israeli-backed gang operating in the southernmost city of Rafah – led by the Fatah-linked Yasser Abu Shabab, also allegedly linked to ISIS.

Abu Shabab and his group were confirmed to have been receiving Israeli support, and are behind the looting of humanitarian aid convoys in Gaza. The gang is also responsible for scouting and securing territory ahead of Israeli military operations. Additionally, Abu Shabab has been accused of drug trafficking.

Hamas has given Abu Shabab 10 days to surrender to authorities on charges of treason, armed rebellion, and forming an armed gang, or face trial in absentia, according to a statement by the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza on 1 July.

In late 2024, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza established a police force in the strip called the Arrow (‘Sahem’) Unit, aimed at combating aid looters and militias linked to Israel.

NEW: Israel Is Now Operating Three Militias Inside Gaza—With Help From the Palestinian Authority

Israel is now working with three separate militias inside Gaza, including two newly revealed Fatah-linked armed groups in Gaza City and Khan Younis—both operating with Israeli… pic.twitter.com/26UEjx63bM

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) July 3, 2025

Clashes have been breaking out recently between the Arrow Unit and these militants.

Abu Shabab’s militia said in early June 2025 that the Arrow Unit had killed “over 50 of our volunteers, including relatives of our leader, Yasser, as we guarded aid convoys and redistributed supplies that were otherwise destined for corrupt entities linked to Hamas.”

Israel continues to accuse Hamas of diverting humanitarian aid for itself – a claim which the UN has publicly rejected.