Anti-Hamas armed groups seek future role under Gaza peace plan

Pressing questions are being raised over a patchwork of armed teams which have emerged to combat Hamas in Gaza over current months.

They embrace teams based mostly round household clans, prison gangs and new militia – a few of that are backed by Israel, as its prime minister not too long ago admitted.

Components throughout the Palestinian Authority – which governs elements of the occupied West Financial institution and is a political rival to Hamas – are additionally believed to be covertly sending assist.

However these militia – every working in its personal native space contained in the 53% of Gaza’s territory at present managed by Israeli forces – haven’t been formally included in US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, which requires an Worldwide Stabilisation Drive and a newly-trained Palestinian police power to safe Gaza within the subsequent stage of the deal.

One of many largest militia is headed by Yasser Abu Shabab, whose Common Forces function close to the southern metropolis of Rafah.

In a single current social media video, his deputy talks about working in co-ordination with the Board of Peace – the worldwide physique to be tasked with operating Gaza beneath the plan.

Hossam al-Astal, who leads a militia known as the Counter-Terrorism Strike Drive close to the southern metropolis of Khan Younis, advised Israeli media this week that “US representatives” had confirmed his group would have a job in Gaza’s future police power.

A US official stated they’d nothing to announce presently.

Earlier this month, Astal grinned after I requested if he had spoken to the Individuals in regards to the future, and advised me he would share the main points quickly.

I requested if these conversations left him completely satisfied.

“Sure,” he stated, with a giant smile.

Hossam al-Astal as soon as labored for the Palestinian Authority. His group is small – possibly tens of fighters – however is more and more assured, and runs a well-supplied tent metropolis close to Khan Younis.

“As an example it isn’t the precise time for me to reply this query,” Astal smiled after I requested if Israel was supplying him. “However we co-ordinate with the Israeli aspect to herald meals, weapons, all the pieces.”

I requested how he paid for them.

“Folks everywhere in the world are supporting us,” he replied. “It isn’t all from Israel. They declare Israel is the one one supporting us and that we’re brokers of Israel. We aren’t Israel’s brokers.”

He advised me tens of households had come to stay in his new web site, simply contained in the Yellow Line that marks the territory at present managed by Israel beneath the ceasefire deal – and that extra individuals have been arriving each week.

“We’re the following day for the brand new Gaza,” he advised me. “We’ve got no downside co-operating with the Palestinian Authority, with the Individuals, with anybody who aligns with us. We’re the choice to Hamas.”

However many Gazans – together with these disillusioned with Hamas – are sad with the brand new energy given to those small and fragmented armed teams.

“Solely a small variety of males who haven’t any faith, religion, or ethics have joined these criminals,” stated Saleh Sweidan, who’s at present dwelling in Gaza Metropolis. “Gaza’s authorities was ruling us, and though there have been many burdens on civilians, any authorities is best than gangs.”

“These teams that co-operate with the occupation [Israel] are the worst factor that the warfare has produced,” stated Zaher Doulah, one other Gaza Metropolis resident. “Becoming a member of them is just not solely harmful, it’s a nice betrayal.”

Thirty-one yr outdated Montaser Masoud advised me he had joined al-Astal’s new tent metropolis two months in the past along with his spouse and 4 youngsters, crossing the Yellow Line at night time to keep away from Hamas, and after coordination with Israeli forces.

However he stated relations who had stayed behind in Hamas-controlled areas have been vital of the transfer.

“They have been harassing us, saying what we’re doing it unsuitable and has no future,” he advised me. “I inform them that they are those we fear about, as a result of they stay outdoors the Yellow Line and anybody from Hamas might disguise subsequent to them, and so they may very well be bombed.”

As we spoke by cellphone, the sound of heavy gunfire round him repeatedly punctured our dialog.

“It is the [Israeli] military close by,” he defined. “Nevertheless it’s not an issue as a result of we all know we’re not the goal.”

A number of armed teams at the moment are ranged in opposition to Hamas, with advanced and overlapping ties.

Abu Shabab’s group, for instance, is accused of looting help vehicles despatched into Gaza throughout the warfare, and studies in Israel have additionally steered that two of its members have earlier hyperlinks to the Islamic State group (IS).

“What’s unsuitable with it?” Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated final month in response to the information that his nation had secretly backed militia teams. “It is a good factor. It saves troopers’ lives.”

Disclosing the knowledge, he stated, had “solely helped Hamas”.

Netanyahu has insisted Gaza is not going to be run by both Hamas or its rival, the Palestinian Authority. Below the US peace plan, a non-political, technocratic committee of Palestinians will run Gaza within the brief time period beneath worldwide oversight, till the PA reforms are full.

However a senior Palestinian official has rejected Astal’s claims that his fighters will type a part of the longer term police power there.

Maj-Gen Anwar Rajab, spokesman for the Palestinian Authority’s safety forces, advised the BBC that there may very well be no blanket integration of males from Gaza’s armed teams, a few of that are backed by Israel.

“Israel may demand the combination of those militia, on account of Israel’s personal particular political and safety concerns,” he stated in an interview within the West Financial institution metropolis of Ramallah. “However Israel’s calls for do not essentially profit the Palestinians. Israel desires to proceed imposing its management in a technique or one other within the Gaza Strip.”

The query of what is going to occur to Gaza’s new militia beneath a sturdy peace nonetheless stays unanswered.

Israel’s determination to again the enemies of their enemy in Gaza is an indication they haven’t realized from historical past, based on Michael Milshtein, previously the pinnacle of Palestinian affairs for Israel’s army intelligence.

“This is identical threat the Individuals took in Afghanistan 30 years in the past,” he stated. “They supported the Taliban in opposition to the Soviets, then the Taliban took the weapons they obtained from the Individuals and used them in opposition to the Individuals.”

He stated Israel was now counting on teams with doubtful pasts within the hope they would supply a political social and ideological various to Hamas.

“There might be a second when they’ll flip their rifles – the rifles they obtained from Israel – in opposition to the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces],” he stated.

Except for serving to to weaken Hamas, Israel’s assist for armed teams might make it simpler to divide Palestinian opposition to Israel, and keep affect inside Gaza as soon as its forces withdraw.

Some critics say that arming disparate native teams will make it tougher to steer Hamas to disarm, and for worldwide forces to step into the position of securing Gaza.

However the threat for Israel is that the identical teams it’s serving to to arm will in the future turn into the brand new enemy it faces.

Forty years in the past, it inspired a hardline Islamist organisation in Gaza to offset the rising energy of Palestinian chief, Yasser Arafat.

That organisation turned Hamas.

Further reporting by Naomi Scherbel-Ball, Samantha Granville and the Gaza freelance workforce