Former Fatah leaders in Gaza who backed Hamas in the 2007 militia war now have set up a “military” wing, according to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. Its researchers believe that “its military activity is supported and directed by Hamas.”
They added, “It is our assessment that, once its policy of terrorist attacks allows it, Hamas may employ military operatives belonging to the Al-Ahrar network as ‘subcontractors for terrorist attack,’ as it formerly did with operatives of other similar terrorist networks.”
The group, which calls itself Al-Ahrar, Arabic for “The Free,” set Israeli and American flags on fire while proclaiming the new military wing at a ceremony featuring the raising of the Turkish flag and a video call of congratulations from a representative of the Turkish IHH organization. The same group’s terror activists assaulted Israel Navy commandos in a May 31 flotilla clash.
The Al-Ahrar group does not recognize Mahmoud Abbas as leader of the Palestinian Authority. At a separate ceremony recently, Al-Ahrar leader Khaled Abu Hilal said that its military wing was “ready to join the ranks of resistance and fight against the occupation.”