9 hours agoFormer Israeli minister accuses Netanyah of arming jihadists in Gaza
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)Israeli opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman has accused Israeli forces, with the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of arming “criminal families” in Gaza. The charges add weight to the claim that Israel has used Palestinian gangs to disrupt the distribution of aid in the besieged enclave. “Israel has provided rifles and light weapons for criminal families [...]
Israeli opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman has accused Israeli forces, with the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of arming “criminal families” in Gaza.
The charges add weight to the claim that Israel has used Palestinian gangs to disrupt the distribution of aid in the besieged enclave.
“Israel has secured rifles and light weapons for criminal families in Gaza, at the order of Netanyah”, Lieberman, party leader Yisrael Beiteinou and former finance minister and deputy prime minister, told Israeli public broadcaster Kan on Thursday.
The weapons are being transferred to criminals and criminals and are heading against Israel. In my opinion, it did not pass the cabinet's approval. The head of Shin Bet knows, I'm not sure the Chief of Staff knows. We're talking about the equivalent of I SIS in Gaza”, he added, referring to the Islamic State group.
He added that “nobody can guarantee that these weapons will not be directed against Israel. We have no way of monitoring or following them”.
In response, Netanyah's office said: “Israel is working to defeat Hamas in various ways, with the recommendation of all the heads of the security establitor”.
In recent months, there have been several reports that Israel allegedly supports, or closes its eyes, armed gangs that plunder aid and food depots in Gaza.
Several Israeli news sites reported on Thursday that the armed gang is headed by Yasser Abu Shabab, a member of a large clan in southern Gaza.
Quoting unidentified sources of defence, the Times of Israel reported that Israel's weapons to Abu Shabab's gang included some whom Israeli forces seized during the war.
Hamas officials told Reuters that Abu Shabab was required for “co-operation with the invasion against his people”.
Officials said Hamas' warriors had killed at least dozens of Abu Shabab's men before January, after they allegedly robbed trucks of aid, broadcast the telegraph.
Alzeera Arabic's Anas al-Sharif reported in early May that Israeli forces attacked shop owners and local security teams in Gaza, who were trying to protect shops from plunder and chaos.
Asaad al-Kafarna, a police officer in Gaza, was killed by Israeli forces near a restaurant on 2 May after attending armed robbers charged with co-operation with Israel's military. /Periscope/
