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For the past 17 years, Israel has claimed that Hamas diverts and steals humanitarian resources meant for Palestinians in Gaza. In 2024, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.S. Congress: “If there are Palestinians in Gaza who aren’t getting enough food, it’s because Hamas is stealing it.”However, reports from 2024–2025 indicate a more complex situation. Israel supported and armed a Gaza-based militia known as the Abu Shabab group (also called the Popular Forces), which operated in areas under Israeli military influence. This group, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, was widely accused by aid organizations, the UN, and Palestinian sources of systematically looting humanitarian aid trucks. At one point, UN figures showed that nearly 9 out of 10 aid trucks failed to reach their intended destinations due to looting. International media and aid workers reported that the Abu Shabab gang was involved in raiding aid convoys, sometimes selling stolen goods like flour at exorbitant prices (e.g., hundreds of dollars per bag).

Some members allegedly had prior links to jihadist networks in Sinai, including ISIS-affiliated elements, though the group positioned itself as anti-Hamas. Israel reportedly used such clans and militias as a counterweight to Hamas, providing arms and protection in an attempt to create internal divisions and undermine Hamas control.

Last year, I spoke with a mother in Gaza (who wishes to remain anonymous for her safety). She described how the gang would steal flour and other supplies, then offer them for free to recruits or sell them at inflated prices, effectively controlling local food supplies. In desperate conditions, some civilians faced an impossible choice: watch their families starve or join armed groups for access to resources. This dynamic has fueled accusations that Israel’s strategy contributed to internal chaos and aid diversion, even as Israeli officials continued to blame Hamas. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsened dramatically.

Israel partners with gang with ISIS ties