Armed militia and gangs backed by Israel are “seizing control of parts of Gaza, exacerbating its humanitarian crisis and potentially threatening any efforts to bring order” even if Trump’s Gaza plan holds, The Guardian reports.

“The Israeli military and security services have for several months been arming and training groups in Gaza as local auxiliary forces and as an alternative to Hamas, but the strategy appears to have gathered momentum in recent weeks,” the report stated.

Named “Popular Forces”, the gangs have been operating in the south of the territory for several months and “coordinating closely with Israeli forces around controversial aid distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation”.

Up to a dozen new militias have emerged across much of Gaza, in addition to the Popular Forces.

An official with a major aid agency operating in Gaza was quoted as saying that they had not “heard from the de facto authority” — a euphemism for Hamas — since March and were now dealing with a “variety of different actors”.

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