Urgent questions are being raised over a patchwork of armed groups that have emerged to fight Hamas in Gaza over recent months.
They include groups based around family clans, criminal gangs, and new militias – some of which are backed by Israel, as its prime minister recently admitted.
Elements within the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the occupied West Bank and is a political rival to Hamas, are also believed to be covertly sending support.
However, these militias – each operating in its own local area inside the 53% of Gaza's territory currently controlled by Israeli forces – have not been officially included in the proposed peace plan, leaving their future role uncertain.
Yasser Abu Shabab leads one of the largest militias, the Popular Forces, which operates near the southern city of Rafah. His deputy has spoken about working in coordination with the Board of Peace, an international body tasked with running Gaza under this plan.
Meanwhile, Hossam al-Astal, leader of the Counter-Terrorism Strike Force in Khan Younis, claims a role in Gaza's future police force as indicated by U.S. representatives. His group, though small, has been gaining confidence, running a well-supplied tent city.
Al-Astal, previously affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, implies a coordination with Israeli forces for supplies, although he denies being an agent of Israel.
Nevertheless, many Gazans express reservations about these emergent groups, citing their potentially criminal nature and complicity with foreign powers. Critics consider these developments a betrayal of Palestinian sovereignty.
Israel's support for these rival factions underscores a strategic aim to weaken Hamas but raises concerns among observers about the long-term implications of relying on such fragmented entities.
