Earlier this year, reports emerged that Israel is arming militias in Gaza in order to increase resistance to Hamas, which was confirmed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In recent weeks, this cooperation has been stepped up and recruitment has been intensified, according to sources within the Israeli military (IDF) cited by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. This has led to the groups growing to such an extent that Israel now has to coordinate its military operations with the groups, which receive money and are given control over areas in exchange for their services.
Cannot be controlled
Despite the militias, which are active mainly in Rafah and Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, being led by the IDF and the security service Shin Bet, there are concerns from the Israeli side that these groups cannot be fully controlled in practice.
This looks like something that will eventually explode in our faces, says a commander.
According to Haaretz's sources, the militia groups are mainly sent to areas that are "sensitive" for Israeli forces to operate in, and that the tasks have gone from being of a simpler nature to outright clashes.
They have been given more assignments in densely populated zones. It's no longer about simple things as before, now they carry out extensive operations, says the commander.
More open cooperation
A soldier states that the military leadership no longer hides the cooperation with the militias, but that they "train for missions right in front of our eyes". At the same time as the cooperation is becoming increasingly open, these groups are also said to have begun to receive their own designations in the military's internal systems.
We have been instructed not to disturb them, says another commander who serves in Gaza.
Neither the IDF nor Shin Bet has wanted to comment on the allegations to Haaretz.
