Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich denied knowledge of weapons transfers to militias in Gaza on Monday, stating, "I was not aware of this. I am completely opposed to arming an enemy, no matter which faction they belong to,” he said at a faction meeting of his Religious Zionist Party, Israeli media reported.

“I think the idea that we let our enemies fight our enemies has not proven itself anywhere," he continued. "Beyond that, I don’t want to expand, because unlike Liberman and others, I have responsibility for Israel’s security, and there are matters that are naturally discussed behind closed doors so as not to harm the security of our existential interests.”

Smotrich later clarified, “It’s okay to create interests for various actors and power centers. Ultimately, our challenge is to destroy Hamas and collapse it. Weapons are a red line.”

Claims that Israel is arming militias

On Thursday, Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman claimed that Israel is arming crime families and militias in Gaza to fight Hamas in an interview on KAN Reshet Bet.

“The Israeli government is transferring weapons to a group of criminals and offenders who identify with ISIS on the orders of the prime minister," Liberman said.

Yisrael Beiteinu party chairman MK Avigdor Lieberman leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on May 5, 2025. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH 90)
Yisrael Beiteinu party chairman MK Avigdor Lieberman leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on May 5, 2025. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH 90)
“In my opinion, this did not pass cabinet approval,” he said. “This was with the knowledge of the head of the Shin Bet [Israel Security Agency], but I don’t know how much the [IDF] chief of staff was privy to the matter.

The Prime Minister’s Office and a security source declined to refute Liberman’s claims regarding arming Gaza's militias. 

“Israel is working to defeat Hamas through various means, as recommended by all heads of the security establishment,” the PMO said.

The security source was “shocked to see the serious and dangerous leak by Liberman. It seems that there are no limits to the cynicism and populism for the sake of self-promotion and narrow political ambitions.”

Amichai Stein contributed to this report.