In unusual public statement last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted “activating” Palestinian militias in Gaza. Acting on the advice of security officials, he said, it was a way to weaken Hamas and protect Israeli soldiers.

The admission came after Israeli media reported that Mr Netanyahu had authorised the arming of a militia, known as the Abu Shabab Popular Forces, in the southern Gaza Strip. The group is named after its leader, Yasser Abu Shabab.

Now, Hamas has a new rival amid its battle with Israel. Hamas fighters have retaliated at the gang and claimed to have killed dozens from its small-but-growing ranks. It is believed that there are only 300 men serving Abu Shabab but sources told The National they are armed with assault rifles and are equipped with walkie-talkies and night-vision goggles. Among them are men with criminal records and links to ISIS.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to experts about the origins of Abu Shabab, why the group is surfacing now and how Israel is backing it. She is joined by Muhammad Shehada, a visiting fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relation’s Mena programme, and Michael Milshtein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Centre for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University.

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