Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beytenu, claimed on Thursday during a Kann Reshet Bet radio interview that Israel, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's authorization, secretly supplied assault rifles and light weapons to Gaza's crime families in order to undermine Hamas.
Lieberman declared, "Israel supplied assault rifles and light weapons to crime families in Gaza, under the direction of Netanyahu. The weapons are transferred to criminals and offenders and turned against Israel." He raised doubts about the process, stating, "To my assessment, this did not receive approval from the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet. The Shin Bet chief knows, I'm not sure the IDF chief of staff knows. We're talking about the equivalent of the Islamic State in Gaza."
The Prime Minister's Office responded without denying the allegations, noting, "Israel is acting to defeat Hamas in various and diverse ways, upon the recommendation of all heads of the security establishment."
Lieberman warned of the dangers, saying, "Nobody can guarantee that these weapons won't be turned against Israel. We have no ability to supervise or track them." He also cast doubt on Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar's performance, remarking, "I'm not sure how much Ronen Bar is functioning a week before he leaves."
Lieberman reinforced his stance on X, posting, "Don't give them rifles," a zinger that alludes to the right-wing slogan from the 1990s against arming the Palestinian Authority during the implementation of the Oslo Accords.
