Khaberni - The Wall Street Journal discussed Israel's unannounced reliance on new Palestinian militias within the Gaza Strip to confront the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), in an attempt to bypass restrictions imposed on the Israeli army under the ceasefire agreement, according to the newspaper.
These armed groups operate in areas under Israeli control, but they carry out attacks within areas supposed to be outside the scope of Israeli military operations, benefiting from direct support including intelligence information, aerial support with drones, and various supplies.
Israel's reliance on these groups became publicly known when Hussam Al-Astal - a commander of one of these militias - boasted about claiming responsibility for killing a Hamas police official in the Al-Mawasi area, threatening to continue targeting the movement's elements.
Al-Astal told the newspaper in a telephone interview, speaking about the policeman, "He was causing problems for the people who wanted to come to us. He hurt us. Anyone who tried to reach us was shot. Whoever replaces him will be killed."
Al-Astal said in a recorded message appearing with an assault rifle, "We say to Hamas and to everyone affiliated with Hamas: just as we reached them we will reach you too."
Tools of the Occupation
Al-Astal's group includes dozens of militants living in a part of Gaza controlled by Israel, and Hamas described the team that carried out the killing as "tools of the Israeli occupation," threatening to punish those who cooperate with Israel, saying, "The price of betrayal is steep and costly."
Al-Astal denied receiving any assistance from Israel except food, however, testimonies from Israeli officials and soldiers confirm the existence of close coordination and Israeli intervention to protect him and his group when needed.
Yaron Buskila, who served as a senior operations officer in the Israeli army's Gaza Division until a ceasefire came into effect in October, said, "When they go and conduct activities against Hamas, we are there to observe them and sometimes assist them. This means helping them with information, and if we see Hamas trying to threaten them or approach them, we intervene actively."
The American newspaper sees this cooperation - born out of a mutual enmity for Hamas - as a useful tool for Israel after its forces were restricted by ceasefire terms in Gaza, allowing these militias to reach areas under Hamas's control that are supposed to be off-limits to Israeli forces, like Al-Mawasi where Al-Astal's men killed the police official.
