Among the Palestinian armed groups that are opposed to Hamas and work with Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, the ‘Popular Army’ is notable for its presence in the northern part of the Strip. It is led by one Ashraf al-Mansi.
Below is an interview recently conducted with a representative of the ‘Popular Army’ regarding its history, the background of its leader, the group’s relationship with Israel and its outlook on the future of a Palestinian state. The interview is slightly edited and condensed for clarity.
Emblem of the ‘Popular Army’: ‘The voice of truth in the face of the oppressor.’
Q: When was the Popular Army formed, for what reasons and in what region? Who is the leader Ashraf al-Mansi and are most of the Popular Army’s members from a specific clan?
A: Dear friend, the Popular Army was formed around a year ago. The formation of it came amid the complicated security and social circumstances witnessed by the region, with the aim being to strengthen stability and protect the people in some of the areas that have suffered from chaos. Most of those affiliated are from the people of the land and belong to well-known and big families and clans. Recruitment is on a voluntary basis and so it is not possible to detail names of families or give precise details on the organisational structure and competencies in view of considerations relating to security and privacy. This formation is specifically within the northern areas of the Gaza Strip.
Ashraf al-Mansi rejected being a tool for any oppressive party and refused to stand by and watch arrests and harassment against those with opposing opinions, especially against people of the Fatah Movement and others inside the Strip.
With regards to the leader Ashraf al-Mansi, yes, he was previously working within the institutions of the Palestinian Authority, but with the outbreak of this war on 7 October, he became a citizen like others besides him in the Gaza Strip, living through the same suffering and difficult circumstances. Ashraf al-Mansi rejected being a tool for any oppressive party and refused to stand by and watch arrests and harassment against those with opposing opinions, especially against people of the Fatah Movement and others inside the Strip. He refused to allow his people to be taken to prison because of their positions and opinions. In this context came the idea of forming the Popular Army, in order to protect the citizens and reject oppression and work to protect people’s dignity amid the divisions and chaos Gaza has been experiencing at the hands of Hamas.
Ashraf al-Mansi is among those opposed to the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip because he is among the people of the Fatah movement, and this political stance is clear and he does not hide it, because he believes there is a big difference between the path of the Fatah movement and the path of the Hamas movement in administering public matters within the Strip. His position arises from political conviction and a different vision for how Gaza should be administered, particularly with regards to public freedoms and the rights of citizens. This political disagreement has been well-known in the Palestinian arena for years and is not something new, and regardless of the disagreement, the aim remains the dignity of the Palestinian citizen and ending the state of division that has exhausted our people for a long time.
Q: What is the relation between you and the other formations that oppose Hamas like the Popular Forces led by Ghassan Duhine and likewise the Counter-terrorism Strike Force led by Hussam al-Astl?
A: Dear brother, we and all the forces present on the land in the various areas, whether in Rafah or Khan Yunis or the central area or Shejaiya: we affirm that we are one hand, one voice and one position. What unites us is our position that is clear: protecting our people and rejecting the oppression and working for the dignity of the citizens in the Gaza Strip. Our position is not directed against our people but rather it is a position firmly against any actions that restrain people’s freedom or infringe on their rights. Our message is clear: we want real security, justice and a dignified life, far-removed from repression and division. This is our position and this is our voice.
Q: Does the Popular Army receive support from the Israeli forces in order to fight Hamas?
The situation our people have come to today did not arise in a vacuum. It was the result of Hamas’s methods in administering the Strip, its terrorising of civilians and its marginalisation of every opposition voice.
A: There is limited security coordination with the Israeli army, but the aim is not direct support with weapons or foodstuffs as some media outlets claim. The coordination focuses on protecting the secure areas we have seized control of and securing a dignified life for the citizens in our areas that are free of the rule of Hamas terrorism, especially in the north of the Gaza Strip. There are some matters that cannot be divulged for security reasons, but what we believe is that our aim first of all is to protect our people and guarantee security and stability. The situation is difficult and the wars that the Gaza Strip has been living through today were the result of policies and actions of the terrorist Hamas movement, which led to a continual escalation and made the Strip become subject to big confrontations with Israel. We don’t support Israel in the infliction of any additional destruction, but it is important for people to understand that the situation our people have come to today did not arise in a vacuum. It was the result of Hamas’s methods in administering the Strip, its terrorising of civilians and its marginalisation of every opposition voice. Our position is clear: we want a dignified and secure life for the Palestinian people and to ensure our security. If Hamas leaves power, it will be a fundamental step to ensure the Strip’s stability whereby our people will live in peace and security, far-removed from the wars and destruction, and without additional interventions or conflicts.
We have accomplished much on the ground. We have seized more or less all the areas of northern Gaza and these areas are now free of any terrorist element of the Hamas movement and these areas are becoming fully secure again for us. The forces also work in some of the other areas of the Strip and all these areas are more or less free of the rule of Hamas. The humanitarian situation in the areas our forces control is very good and the people are living a relatively safe life, far-removed from the killing and arrests that predominated under the rule of Hamas. We don’t consider ourselves a militia but rather we have raised weapons to protect the citizens and ensure their security. The real militia is the one that suppresses every free voice, arrests opponents and destroys the life of the people. We want the Palestinian people in Gaza to be aware of the truth. Hamas, in media, is big in its rhetoric, but on the ground it has more or less lost its control and what is heard through the media is distortion and lying. Our aim is to protect the people and bring about security and stability in the Strip, far removed from the media and propaganda, and we affirm that protecting the citizens is our foundational aim.
Q: Yes, but there are people who say that Israel committed genocide in Gaza and wants to establish settlements in Gaza and expel the Palestinian inhabitants from Gaza. What’s your view on this talk?
A: The destruction and massacres that took place in Gaza arouse shock and great anger, and we do not support Israel for any additional destruction, but the truth must be said: who opened the space for all these catastrophes? The terrorist Hamas movement did. Before the recent war broke out, Hamas moved with complete freedom and could ask for what it wanted from Israel or any other state, and it would get support and facilitations. But it overturned all that with the wretched 7 October event and launched a war that led to this destruction. Hamas was interested in the confrontation and the losses of the Palestinian people, because it was not interested in ruling the Strip for the interests of the citizens but rather its personal interests and foreign agendas, including the treacherous agendas of Iran. The truth is clear: what led to this great crisis in Gaza is the policies and actions of Hamas, and not the people or civilians. Our aim is to protect the citizens and realise a dignified life and security, far removed from the conflicts and personal interests of the Hamas movement.
Dear brother, we have no problem with whoever lives in Palestine, whether in the settlements or any other region, but we ask all to respect our people and their rights and that no one should harass the citizens or restrict their freedoms. Respect for the rights of the people is the foundation for guaranteeing a safe and secure life for all.
Q: After the removal of Hamas, do you want the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza? And in the end you want an independent Palestinian state, right? And what’s your message to the international community?
Our message is clear: we are a force for protecting the citizens, not threatening them, and we are striving for the world to see that there are people in Gaza taking up arms only for the sake of life and security.
A: With regards to the Palestinian Authority- whether it holds rule of Gaza or any part of the Palestinian state- we have no problem with it. What we ask is that the aim of the one who leads the Strip or the Palestinian state should be protecting the Palestinian people, ensuring a safe life free of wars and terrorism. The people of Gaza have become tired of the wars, destruction and continual suffering. Therefore, we affirm that any Palestinian leadership must be concerned with protecting the state and protecting the citizens and people of Gazal, far removed from oppression and internal conflicts. We believe in the two-state solution: an independent Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel, and we are striving to end the permanent wars and ensure a dignified life for the Palestinian people, far removed from the destruction and catastrophe. We have no problem with the one who leads the Palestinian state so long as his aim is to protect its people and land.
Our message to the international community: we took up arms in the Gaza Strip not to terrorist the citizens or inflict harm on them, but rather to protect them form the rule and terrorism of the oppressive Hamas movement. Our aim has always been to ensure a dignified and secure life for the Palestinian people and protect the civilians from arbitrariness and repression. We affirm to all, including the Peace Council and the international community, that we are not a militia or reason for any harm done to the people of the Gaza Strip. What we are doing is defending the people and their dignity and working to secure stability and security for our areas, far removed from the conflicts and personal interests that have so often caused suffering. Our message is clear: we are a force for protecting the citizens, not threatening them, and we are striving for the world to see that there are people in Gaza taking up arms only for the sake of life and security.
Published originally on February 22, 2026.
