Anti-Hamas militia leader Hossam al-Astal says he’ll support Tony Blair in ‘Gaza after Hamas’
Astal has reportedly been able to “liberate an area from Hamas occupation,” managing to establish a “safe city” of almost one square mile in Khan Yunis.
Hossam al-Astal, leader of one of the anti-Hamas militias in Gaza, said in an interview with The Telegraph that he was willing to cooperate with former British prime minister Tony Blair in the establishment of a security force inside Gaza.
Astal has reportedly been able to “liberate an area from Hamas occupation.” “We’re using mainly handguns and AK-47s taken from Hamas,” Astal said, and added, “I can’t say how many fighters we have. Right now, that’s very sensitive – we’re in a war.”
According to the report, which was not confirmed by the IDF, Astal’s men have managed to establish a “safe city” of almost one square mile that works as a refuge for 200 people and is “free of Hamas.”
Astal’s comments also assure that he received logistical cooperation from the IDF, something that the military did not comment on, while also receiving freedom of action, protection from air strikes, and bespoke access to aid.
Palestinians walk past rubble as they return to their neighborhood, following Israeli forces’ withdrawal from the area, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip October 11, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
The day after Hamas in Gaza
Astal worked until 2007 as a security official in the Palestinian Authority (PA), until Hamas’s coup of 2007 that saw the expulsion of the PA from the strip. He also survived an execution attempt and even managed to escape one of Hama’s prisons during the post-October 7 chaos in Gaza.
“Tony Blair is a decent politician,” he told theTelegraph. “I think his help can be useful, especially if it’s coming with an international agreement or mandate. We are ready to cooperate with anyone who will bring help to our people in Gaza.”
The article points out that this might be “jumping the gun,” taking into account that the current deal only covers a partial retirement of Israeli forces from the strip in exchange for all the remaining hostages.
“We will not stop fighting Hamas,” Astal insisted. “We have martyrs – Hamas has our blood on its hands. Even if Israel signs a treaty and stops the war with Hamas, we will not stop.”
“I am in touch with tens of former PA officers around Gaza, and we are all ready and waiting for zero hour, the moment when we are all going to liberate the Gaza Strip from Hamas,” he also warned.
