Counter-Terrorism Strike Force
The Counter-Terrorism Strike Force or Anti-Terror Strike Force also known as the Strike Force Against Terror is an anti-Hamas Palestinian militant organization that emerged during the Gaza war. It is based in Kizan al-Najjar in Khan Yunis, and is reportedly supported by Israel.
Background
The CTSF was founded on 21 August 2025 during the societal breakdown within Gaza, stating to combat the "repression and terrorism practiced by Hamas". It is based in and controls the village of Kizan al-Najjar, south of Khan Yunis.CTSF leadership appears to consist largely of figures affiliated with Fatah, mainly from al-Astal's extended family.
History
The neoconservative Foundation for Defense of Democracies said that the CTSF is supported by Israel's Shin Bet and the Israeli Defense Forces. According to the Jerusalem Post the CTSF and the Popular Forces are reportedly in contact with one another but work independently.The group is led by Husam al-Astal, a Palestinian Bedouin who worked in Israel and then worked for the Palestinian Authority security forces when they still controlled Gaza. He has spoken favorably about the era of direct Israeli military rule in Gaza prior to the 2005 disengagement. Al-Astal was previously imprisoned and given a death sentence by Hamas for his involvement with Israel, and was accused of involvement in the 2018 assassination of a Hamas-associated engineer in Malaysia.
According to Hamas, al-Astal is linked to Mossad. Before founding the Counter-Terrorism Strike Force, Ynet reported that al-Astal was a member of the Popular Forces.
Operations
Al-Astal has said that the CTSF helped defend the Al-Mujaida clan of Khan Yunis after Hamas forces launched a raid on the clan on 3 October 2025. It marked the first time the group battled Hamas.In October 2025, the CTSF reached an agreement with the Israeli Defense Forces to establish a "Green Line" where no fighting would take place.
In November 2025, Al-Astal told Israeli media that "US representatives" had stated that his group would play a part in the future police force in Gaza. Al-Astal, once worked with the Palestinian Authority, said that he and his group coordinated with Israel to bring supplies to the CTSF and expressed interest to collaborate with Palestinian Authority and the United States.
In January 2026, the CTSF claimed responsibility for the assassination of 40-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Mahmoud Al-Astal, the head of investigations and the criminal police unit of the Gaza police in Khan Yunis. The killing was reported amid ongoing internal instability in Gaza despite a ceasefire and followed earlier operations attributed to Israel-aligned local groups operating independently of direct Israeli military involvement.