JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel is supporting armed groups of Palestinians in Gaza in what it says is a move to counter Hamas. But officials from the U.N. and aid organizations say the military is allowing them to loot food and other supplies from their trucks.

Israel's leader says arming "clans in Gaza" to help fight Hamas will save lives. Opposition leaders say the weapons "will eventually be turned against" Israelis.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged only that Israel had been working with “clans.” But the opposition leader warned that the “weapons going into Gaza will eventually be pointed at Israeli soldiers and civilians.

Hamas wants a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire, terms U.S. and Israeli officials have rejected as unacceptable.

The reported killing of Mohammad Sinwar deepens Hamas's leadership crisis as Israel escalates its campaign amid Gaza's worsening humanitarian crisis.

The Israeli prime minister's comments on social media were the first public acknowledgment of Israel’s backing of armed Palestinian groups within Gaza, based around powerful families.

Von hosts the third-biggest podcast on Spotify and frequently criticizes Israel to his 4 million YouTube followers.

The IDF discovered a trove of documents that apparently show Hamas plotting with Qatari leaders to scuttle a Trump peace plan.