Hamas evasive on Gaza's new popular army
The recent announcement by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades to form a popular army in Gaza has raised concerns in Fatah, which considers the move harmful to the Palestinian reconciliation process.
As soon as the recent Gaza war came to an end on Aug. 26, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, made announcements in some Gaza City mosques, calling on Palestinians to enlist in a "popular army," sources close to Hamas told Al-Monitor.
The announcements described the characteristics and goals of training a popular army that would support al-Qassam Brigades in any new war with Israel. Moreover, its members would be trained to use various light weapons to prepare for any upcoming confrontation with the Israeli army. The training would take place in military academies throughout Gaza that would remain open year-round to receive new recruits.
Abu Jaafar, an al-Qassam Brigades official, told the media Sept. 25 that thousands of young people above the age of 16 registered with the brigades’ delegates throughout Gaza. However, Abu Jaafar stopped short of disclosing the nature of tasks that the popular army would handle. He said that this army has become a necessity and will handle specific tasks in case of future war with Israel.
Hamas did not deny or confirm the news, but a high-ranking official in the movement told Al-Monitor, “There are no talks about forming an army in the true sense of the word, but the idea is to complement the youth training project that the former government’s Ministry of Education launched in Gaza schools. The program was dedicated to high school students who would attend summer camps every year. However, the new consensus government decided to halt the project because it goes against its political agenda.”
