Moshe Pazielov, a former senior official in the ISA, explains that Israel is right to arm gangs that will fight Hamas, but must not overlook the long-term consequences of such a decision.
Moshe Pazielov, a former senior official in the ISA and currently a researcher at the Misgav Institute for National Security, spoke with Arutz Sheva – Israel National News about reports that Israel is arming militias in Gaza to fight Hamas. The initiative was recently revealed by MK Avigdor Lieberman.
Pazielov voiced support for the move, suggesting that if the ISA is involved, it deserves credit. “A crucial part of dismantling Hamas involves penetrating Palestinian Arab society in Gaza and establishing an alternative. There must be something that, for the time being, is better than Hamas,” he said.
However, he acknowledged the inherent risk that weapons provided to these militias could eventually be turned against Israel. “We have to accept the possibility that at some point, these arms may be used against us,” Pazielov cautioned. “But this is not a choice between good and evil, it’s a choice between the evil we know and a lesser evil.”
Pazielov noted that in Gaza’s totalitarian environment, internal efforts to remove Hamas are nearly impossible. Supporting alternative forces, he said, could help Israel implement a long-term strategy of weakening Hamas’s grip on the territory.
“No one in Gaza is a fan of Zionism,” he remarked, referencing Syrian leader al-Julani as an example. “But sometimes, the lesser evil may serve your interests better than inaction.”
He also emphasized the strategic significance of humanitarian aid, which Hamas often diverts for its own purposes. Establishing alternative mechanisms for delivering aid, independent of Hamas, could significantly reduce the group’s influence, he said. Pazielov highlighted that Hamas’s repeated demands to regain control over aid distribution during hostage negotiations show how crucial this issue is to their hold on power.
“This is why arming anti-Hamas militias is the right step,” he said. “It’s part of a broader strategy to shift control and influence away from Hamas.”
Pazielov added that Israel must pair such actions with clear protections for its own interests. “We’re no longer in a naïve era where we believed that suffering alone motivates people. Power is what speaks in the Middle East, and we need to speak that language.”
He revealed that there have been previous attempts to build such militias, including efforts involving the same Gaza-based leader. However, those efforts were delayed after Hamas discovered the activity and killed four of the militia leader’s aides.
According to Pazielov, the current initiative likely involves coordination with the Palestinian Authority, particularly figures who moved from Gaza to Judea and Samaria. He believes one of PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s aides played a key role in facilitating the connection.
Commenting on Lieberman’s public disclosure of the operation, Pazielov criticized the decision, calling it damaging to Israeli security interests. “This kind of revelation should never have been made public. But I’m not in a position to challenge the decisions of senior political figures,” he said.
