Al-Monitor Praises 'Israeli-Backed' Militia for Gaza Assassination
This 'Israeli-backed' paramilitary, operating inside Gaza during an active Israeli military occupation, strikes a familiar chord. Remember the 'Free Syrian Army' that morphed from brave dissidents to Salafist militants? Or the Contra rebels in Nicaragua, universally described as 'US-backed?' Funny how the label changes based on whose interests are served. Here, 'Israeli-backed' is meant to frame
the event as a local Hamas problem, rather than a precision strike by an occupying power using proxies to destabilize internal security forces – which is a textbook counterinsurgency tactic not dissimilar to how the IDF operated in the West Bank following the Second Intifada, creating security vacuums and then blaming Palestinian authorities. When the 'Palestinian militia' serves the agenda of an
occupying power, its foreign backing becomes a badge of honor, rather than a point of suspicion. One might question why an assassination inside a besieged territory during an ongoing military operation is framed as an internal 'militia' action, rather than an extension of state policy. Perhaps Al-Monitor believes Israel is merely a particularly generous venture capitalist, investing in local
'militia' startups.