JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel has “activated” some local clans of Palestinians in Gaza in the fight against Hamas.
In a video posted to his X account, Netanyahu said the government made the move on the advice of “security officials,” in order to save lives of Israeli soldiers.
The announcement came hours after a political opponent criticized him for arming unofficial groups of Palestinians in Gaza.
Some local Palestinian families in Gaza are known to have arms and often wield some control in parts of the territory. In the past, before and during the war, some have had clashes or tensions with Hamas.
An Israeli official said that one of the groups that Netanyahu was referring to was the so-called Abu Shabab group. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
In recent weeks, the Abu Shabab group announced online that its fighters were helping protect aid shipments to the new distribution mechanism backed by Israel in southern Gaza.
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