Israel is supplying weapons to a jihadist group in the Gaza Strip linked to the Islamic State, said opposition Member of Parliament and former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman on Thursday, adding that the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by saying that Israel is “fighting Hamas in different ways.”
In an interview, Lieberman said that Netanyahu, similar to how he supported Hamas as a counterbalance to the Palestinian Authority, is now helping to establish new armed forces as a counterbalance to Hamas.
Lieberman said that it concerns the Abu Shabab group, an armed gang that opposes Hamas.
“The Israeli government is giving weapons to a group of criminals and convicts who identify with the Islamic State, on the orders of the prime minister. As far as I know, this did not go through cabinet approval,” he emphasized.
Last week, two sources said that the new militia had recently begun operating in the southern Gaza Strip, saying it is linked to a man who presents himself as Yasser Abu Shabab.
It appears that videos circulating on social media in recent days support this claim. They show armed Palestinians in Gaza in standard military gear, including vests, helmets, and insignia resembling the Palestinian flag, with the label “Anti-terror Service” in English and Arabic.
Israel is sending light weapons and assault rifles, claims Lieberman, adding that “these weapons will eventually be turned against us.”
Responding to the accusations, Netanyahu’s office said that “Israel is working to defeat Hamas in various ways, based on the recommendations of all the heads of the security establishment.”
Sources from the Israeli Ministry of Defense confirmed that Tel Aviv delivered Kalashnikovs and other weapons to members of the armed group in Gaza, with the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but without the consent of the war cabinet.
