Palestinian Authority denies ties to armed militia looting Gaza aid

By Qais Abu Samra and Ahmed Asmar

RAMALLAH, Palestine / ANKARA (AA) – The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Sunday denied any connection to an armed militia that is accused of looting humanitarian aid in Gaza.

"As an official institution, we have no relationship with the group of (so-called Popular Forces led by Yasser) Abu Shabab," PA security spokesperson Anwar Rajab told Anadolu.

He stressed the group's claim of operating "under Palestinian legitimacy" was entirely false.

The denial comes after the armed gang, which Israel claims to support, posted on Facebook Thursday, asserting it worked under "Palestinian legitimacy."

Rajab condemned the gang's actions as "illegal and outside any legal framework."

On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israel is supporting an armed group - Abu Shabab's militia which operates in Rafah, southern Gaza - that opposes Hamas, following comments by a former minister that Israel had transferred weapons to it.

The Hamas group, for its part, said Abu Shabab is involved in betrayal and theft, as he operates under the direct supervision of the Israeli army.

Hamas vowed that "these gangs will be pursued and held accountable by our people's factions and competent authorities."

The Gaza government media office has repeatedly accused "Israeli-backed armed gangs" of looting scarce humanitarian aid entering the besieged enclave.

Israel, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a devastating offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 54,800 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave's more than 2 million inhabitants.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.