Israeli-backed gangs use occupied Gaza zones to target Hamas, seek post-war control: Report
Armed factions backed by Israel are using Gaza areas under Israeli control as bases to carry out attacks against the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, according to a report.
Under the supervision of the Israeli military, at least five anti-Hamas factions are now active within the so-called “yellow line,” CNN reported on Saturday.
The yellow line is a military boundary imposed by Israel inside Gaza, used to seize territory, enforce siege conditions, and restrict Palestinian movement under the pretext of “security.”
In reality, it expands the occupation by force. Israel directly controls the territory east of the line, where only a few Palestinians remain, while Hamas retains authority over areas to the west.
From these Israeli-occupied zones, the militias carry out frequent “hit-and-run” attacks against Hamas targets across the line.
One such group, the so-called Counter-Terrorism Strike Force (CTSF) led by Hussam Al-Astal, launches raids from a village it controls in the Israeli-occupied part of Khan Yunis in southeast Gaza.
Other Israeli-backed gangs targeting Hamas include the Yasser Abu Shabab Popular Forces in the south, Ashraf al-Mansi’s Popular Army in the north, and Rami Hallas’ Popular Defense Army in central Gaza.
“There is coordination between our groups. We have the same goals and the same ideology…We have the same aim,” Al-Astal said, emphasizing their shared objective of “toppling Hamas.”
These factions also aspire to govern Gaza on Israel’s behalf once the resistance is removed. Hallas described his group as part of a “larger project to govern Gaza on Israel’s behalf.”
Al-Astal of CTSF echoed this, saying, “It is a very large project, and I am a part of it … Our role will be pivotal.”
Among these militias, the most notorious is the so-called Popular Forces, once led by Daesh-linked smuggler Yasser Abu Shabab.
Israeli spy services provided Abu Shabab and his men with arms and funds, instructing them to loot aid trucks entering Gaza and falsely blame Hamas.
The group also helped Israel kill at least 40 Hamas fighters trapped in tunnels along the Israeli-controlled side of the yellow line after the October 10, 2025, ceasefire.
Hamas managed to kill Abu Shabab earlier this month, but his organization continues to operate against the resistance.
Since Israel launched its genocidal assault on Gaza on October 7, 2023, it has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians and wounded over 171,000 others, most of them women and children.
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