Washington Post Promotes Writer Tied to ISIS-Linked, Israeli-Backed Militia
Gaza (QNN)- The Washington Post has published an op-ed by a controversial writer who has recently joined the Israeli-affiliated Abu Shabab militia in occupied Rafah, a group that had ties to ISIS. Moumen al-Natour promoted a Gaza under Israeli control and justified Israel’s blocking of reconstruction and tent access in the other half, where people are besieged. The post did not disclose the writer’s affiliation and background.
In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Al-Natour claims that Trump’s plan divides Gaza into two halves while referring to the “Yellow Line”, an non-physical demarcation line separating the Israeli occupation forces from certain areas of Gaza, while maintaining Israeli control over approximately 50% of the enclave.
Al-Natour Disavowed by Family
Al-Natour family issued a public statement disowning Moamen Al-Natour for joining the Abu Shabab militia. Moamen had claimed that joining the Israeli-controlled area is “a temporary stay for me without any work with the Abu Shabab group.”
The family condemned his actions as “contradicting the traditions and national values of the Palestinian people” and “aligning with the occupation’s criminal schemes.”
Reaffirming their loyalty to the Palestinian cause, the family said they “remain part of the national and resisting fabric” and reject any form of collaboration or suspicious activity that undermines the struggle for liberation.
The “Yellow Line”
On October 10, the Israeli forces completed the first phase of withdrawal under the ceasefire deal to the “yellow line,” a non-physical demarcation line separating the Israeli occupation forces from certain areas of Gaza, while maintaining control over approximately 50% of the enclave.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said anyone remaining beyond the yellow line would be targeted without warning.
According to an Israeli map presented under US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan, the yellow line extends from south of northern Gaza down to the outskirts of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces remain deployed in the Shejaiya neighborhood, parts of the Tuffah and Zeitoun in Gaza City, as well as in Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya in the north, Rafah in the south, and along the Gaza coast.
The Israeli forces directly open fire on any Palestinians crossing this “yellow line” or even approaching, without prior warning.
Palestinians returning to their destroyed homes amid the ceasefire have been attacked by the Israeli forces near the line.
The Israeli military said it has started placing yellow concrete blocks to mark the imaginary boundary, a line that separates between life and death.
Last week, in the deadliest single violation of the ceasefire, an Israeli tank shell was fired by Israeli forces at a civilian vehicle carrying the Abu Shaaban family in the Zeitoun neighbourhood in Gaza City, according to Gaza’s civil defense. Seven children and three women were among those killed when the Israeli military fired on the vehicle as the family attempted to reach their home to inspect it after unknowingly crossing the yellow line.
“What happened confirms that the occupation is still thirsty for blood, and insists on committing crimes against innocent civilians,” civil defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said in a statement.
Since the ceasefire came into effect, Israel has violated the truce at least 80 times, said the Gaza Government Media Office, killing 97 people and injuring 230 others.
The violations included crimes of direct gunfire against civilians, deliberate shelling and targeting, and the arrest of a number of civilians, reflecting the occupation’s continued policy of aggression despite the declared end of the war, said the Office.
Following the announcement of Trump’s plan, many questions remain for Palestinians regarding how the plan will be implemented, the exact boundaries of Palestinian territory, and the timing and scope of Israeli withdrawals.
Member of of ISIS-Linked and Israeli-Backed Gang
Recently, Yasser Abu Shabab, a known leader of armed gangs linked to ISIS and involved in looting aid under Israeli protection, posted photos of himself sitting armed alongside Al-Natour.
In a Facebook post, Al-Natour stated that he had moved to the Israeli-controlled zone in Rafah, southern Gaza. This area, referred to as a “death zone,” is typically inaccessible to Gaza residents, further confirming the Israeli complicity in the gang’s activities
He added that he moved there after Abu Shabab contacted him, offering protection, claiming that Hamas had been pursuing him.
According to Gazan political analyst and writer Muhammad Shehada, citing mainstream media journalists, that told a pro-Israeli PR firm in DC is the one that pushed for his “propaganda article to be published in The Washington Post, adding sources told him “there’s a chance the firm is the one that even wrote the op-ed.”
🚨Washington Post published an oped for an armed gang member from Israel’s proxy (ISIS-linked) Abu Shabab gang
They did NOT disclose his ties to the gang responsible for looting the overwhelming majority of aid under IDF protection (per the UN)
Mainstream media journalists told… pic.twitter.com/Oya8s5UxrY
— Muhammad Shehada (@muhammadshehad2) October 25, 2025
Trump-Backed Plan to Cage 2 Million Gazans
Israel Hayom also reported outline an infamous plan for Gaza that aims to divide the strip with a Berlin-wall-like “Yellow Line.”
According to the report, Israel would allow symbolic reconstruction only in areas fully controlled by the Israeli army and managed by local Israeli-affiliated gangs, while the rest of Gaza would remain without construction, regularly bombed and raided.
The plan effectively cages around two million people in an uninhabitable zone, with no access to the so-called “model” areas of reconstruction.
Inside the Yellow Line, Israel is preparing a model town in Rafah, run by the Abu Shabab gang which has been promoted by Al-Natour. The camp already includes a school and a mosque, and foreign propagandists are expected to stage tours to present it as a “futuristic vision of a de-radicalized Gaza.” Meanwhile, ordinary Gazans remain outside, with no access to these areas, and the devastation continues across the rest of the Strip.
Israel intends to use disarmament as a pretext for keeping Gazans confined and under constant military pressure. Even if Hamas agrees to disarm, the report suggests Israel could still claim that militants remain, justifying continued bombings. The plan mirrors tactics seen in Lebanon, where strikes targeted infrastructure under the guise of hitting fighters.
The report also traces the back-room diplomacy behind the plan. It highlights how US President Trump initially favored an American-style elimination of Hamas and downplayed the Israeli soldier prisoner crisis, only for Israeli leaders to later recognize its strategic importance. A failed strike that alarmed Qatar helped accelerate negotiations, leading to a partial deal. The plan also sidelines the Palestinian Authority, placing Gaza under a pan-Arab and international framework while reconstruction takes place only in the Israeli-controlled half.
According to the report, the effort has already cost nearly $100 billion and around 900 Israeli soldiers. While a showcase town may offer a semblance of normalcy for some, most Gazans are expected to live in ruins, trapped between the rubble and ongoing attacks. The report reveals that even if Hamas disappears, Israel could continue to find excuses to restrict and punish Gaza’s population.
