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.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that his country is supporting an armed group in the Gaza Strip that opposes the militant group Hamas, following comments by a former minister that the Jewish state had transferred weapons to it.

The probe in France comes as international pressure grows on Israel to increase the flow of aid into Gaza amid fears of a humanitarian catastrophe. Israel’s months-long bombing campaign and blockade has severely restricted access to food, water and medicine for civilians in the Palestinian enclave.

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.

The new aid system in Gaza suspended at least some activity for a second day on Thursday as Israel shifted operations amid chaos at distribution sites that has included deadly shootings. The shift has included empowering and arming rivals to Hamas to play a role in aid distribution, Israeli news organizations reported on Thursday.

A watchdog claims the U.K. warned of Hamas links in a Gaza aid program. The U.K. denies funds went to Hamas-run agencies, but critics call for greater transparency.

A CNN investigation into a deadly incident near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza on Sunday points to the Israeli military opening fire on crowds of Palestinians as they tried to make their way to the fenced enclosure to get food.

Unable to make advances on the battlefield, Hamas is utilizing the world press and a far-left Islamist coalition as a force multiplier. ‘Regrettably,