Palestinian militias launch anti-Hamas operation in Gaza

On April 19, Ghassan Alduhaini, leader of the Popular Forces, announced the launch of Operation Deterrence of Aggression, a joint operation between the Anti-Terrorist Service and Palestinian Popular Forces against Hamas across Gaza. The operation was triggered by Hamas's refusal to hand over weapons as stipulated in the second phase of the October 2025 agreement and the militia's growing strength in non-occupied territory. Consequently, a series of raids have been carried out against Hamas positions by these Palestinian militias, which are supported by Israel. Israel's objective is to use these local forces to weaken Hamas without direct intervention, while continuing to establish a new de facto border, referred to as the 'yellow line'.