Urgent questions are emerging over the network of armed groups now operating against Hamas in Gaza, according to a BBC report. These organizations – ranging from clan-based factions to criminal elements and newly formed militias – have gained prominence in areas currently under Israeli control.
The BBC noted that some of the groups receive backing from Israel, a point recently acknowledged by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Elements within the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of Judea and Samaria and rivals Hamas politically, are also believed to be quietly involved.
These militias function independently within sections of Gaza that make up just over half the territory and are not part of President Donald Trump’s peace plan. The plan lays out an International Stabilisation Force and a newly trained Palestinian police force for the next phase.
One of the largest armed groups, led by Yasser Abu Shabab and known as the Popular Forces, operates near Rafah. Another militia, the Counter-Terrorism Strike Force, headed by Hossam al-Astal near Khan Younis, told Israeli media that US representatives had indicated his fighters could have a future role in local policing, a claim a US official did not confirm.
According to the BBC, al-Astal oversees a tent city near Khan Younis. He said his group coordinates with Israel to bring in supplies and insisted that support comes from various sources. Families have relocated to the tent site, inside the territory marked by the Yellow Line under the current ceasefire.
Several Gazans told the BBC they oppose the rise of these groups, calling them unaccountable and dismissing cooperation with Israel as dangerous. Others, such as residents who moved into areas under Israeli control, described leaving Hamas-run zones due to fear of violence.
Additional militias, including the People’s Army – Northern Forces led by Ashraf Mansi, have warned Hamas against entering areas where they operate.
Abu Shabab’s Popular Forces have been accused in Israeli reports of looting aid shipments and alleged links to Islamic State elements, the BBC reported. Netanyahu defended Israel’s support for certain groups, saying it protects Israeli soldiers.
PA security spokesman Maj-Gen Anwar Rajab told the BBC there could be no broad integration of these militias into a future Gaza police force, arguing that Israeli-backed elements do not align with Palestinian interests.
Michael Milshtein, a retired Israeli intelligence officer, warned the BBC that Israel risks empowering factions that could eventually turn against it, drawing comparisons to US support for Afghan groups in the 1980s.
The long-term future of these armed factions remains unclear. While some analysts say they may weaken Hamas, others caution that arming multiple small groups could create new challenges if they eventually shift their focus toward Israel.
“There will be a moment when they will turn their rifles against the IDF,” Milshtein told the BBC.