Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly authorized the arming of a Gaza-based militia, al-Quwat al-Shaabiya (“The Popular Forces”), led by drug-runner Yasser Abu-Shabab. This group stands accused of looting humanitarian aid convoys in Gaza. (Netanyahu was famous years ago for channeling funding to Hamas early on, so as to undercut the Palestinian Authority.)
Former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman blasted the move, comparing it to past policies of backing Hamas. He called the militia “the equivalent of ISIS in Gaza” and warned that the weapons could be turned against Israel. Lieberman compared giving the Abu-Shabab militia guns to Netanyahu allowing Qatar to send aid to Hamas-run Gaza. He posted on X: “The prime minister of Oct. 7 hasn’t learned anything and is still continuing with the same idea that led us to the greatest massacre in the history of the state. For years, Netanyahu nurtured Hamas and refused to listen to me when I said that he is severely damaging Israel’s national security. Now he is making the exact same mistake….”
Abu-Shabab, who spent years in Hamas prisons, mostly for smuggling, theft, and selling drugs, was freed last year as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the Hamas prison he was in. He claims to protect aid routes, but is widely accused of theft and looting. In January, one of Abu-Shabab’s senior aides was executed by Hamas.
