Israel-supported Gaza militia head burns Hamas flag in Facebook video

“They are liars,” said al-Astal. “Hamas is finished.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A militia commander operating in southern Gaza publicly denounced Hamas on Monday, declaring the group’s rule and setting one of its flags ablaze during a live broadcast on Facebook.

Hossam al-Astal, who commands a local force in Khan Younis supported by Israel, appeared in the video denying claims that his men had been detained or disarmed by Hamas. “They are liars,” he said, holding up a green Hamas banner before igniting it. “Hamas is finished.”

Al-Astal’s faction is stationed near the “Yellow Line,” the boundary marking the area from which Israeli forces pulled back when the ceasefire took effect. His public defiance marks one of the most visible acts of opposition to Hamas since the truce began last month.

With the fragile ceasefire holding, four locally backed armed groups in southern Gaza are stepping into the void left by Hamas, declaring readiness to manage security and basic governance but rejecting any involvement from countries they associate with the Muslim Brotherhood, The Algemeiner reported.

Al-Astal told reporters on a Zoom call that his unit and three allied formations have coordinated recent efforts to secure areas vacated by Hamas and are prepared to assume civil and security duties as rebuilding gets under way, according to the report.

“We can form a local government in the areas we control,” he said, claiming his forces already possess the necessary personnel.

Al-Astal added that his movement is open to working alongside most international teams on the ground. “We will cooperate with international actors and others operating here,” he said, paraphrasing a familiar diplomatic logic: the enemy of one’s enemy can become an ally.

At the same time, he issued a stark warning about outside actors he believes are aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood. “Any forces from Qatar, Turkey or Iran will be treated as hostile,” he said. “We will confront them the same way we confront Hamas.”

The groups are not included in the technocratic governance blueprint floated by President Donald Trump, according to the report.