Latest news with #YasserAbuShabab
Al-Ahram Weekly
a day ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
The rise of Abu Shabab
In Gaza, where the ruins of war have reshaped the landscape, power often grows not out of ideals but opportunity. Yasser Abu Shabab rose in the vacuum left by chaos and disorder, not as a symbol of resistance, but as a product of divisions and breakdowns within the system. Operating in the grey zone between armed power, opportunism and survival, his name has come to represent the kind of suspicious alliance and internal betrayals that increasingly define Gaza's political underworld. As reports of looted aid and secret coordination with the Israeli military surface, Abu Shabab's story exposes the uncomfortable truths behind public narratives of heroism and resistance. Abu Shabab is not well-known to the public, but many in political and armed circles in Gaza are familiar with his name. He was born and raised in Rafah and is a member of the Tarabin clan, one of the largest Bedouin tribes in the region. People who know him say he isn't driven by strong beliefs, but by a desire to gain power and protect his own interests. In mid-2010, he took on important roles behind the scenes helping to move supplies, make deals, and manage fighters. He became known not for fighting on the front lines, but for building connections and taking advantage of the chaos during unrest. These actions helped him rise to prominence, but also made him a controversial and suspicious figure. Abu Shabab had a tense relationship with the Hamas authorities in Gaza, having previously been imprisoned by them on charges related to drug dealing. His detention was part of Hamas' broader crackdown on criminal activity and internal dissent. However, following the outbreak of war on 7 October 2023, he managed to escape from prison amid the chaos. Since then, he has resurfaced as a prominent figure operating independently, taking advantage of the security vacuum in parts of the Strip. In recent months, Abu Shabab has become one of the most controversial figures operating in Gaza not for his ideology, but for his direct cooperation with the Israeli forces. According to multiple sources, including Israeli officials, Abu Shabab now heads a militia known locally as the Popular Forces, composed of 100-300 armed men, drawn mainly from powerful clans of southern Gaza. The group operates primarily in and around eastern Rafah and near the Kerem Shalom crossing, where it has taken control of key aid corridors under the protection of Israeli military units or at least tolerated by them. According to Abu Shabab, their mission is to block Hamas' access to humanitarian aid, but in practice, the group has been widely accused of looting aid convoys, extorting truck drivers, and diverting essential supplies such as flour, medicine, fuel, and tents. One major incident in November 2024 involved the seizure of over 90 United Nations trucks, which were stripped almost entirely of their contents before reaching the distribution points. While Israeli officials defend the arming of clan-based militias as a tactical move to weaken Hamas without deploying more ground troops, human rights observers and UN agencies warn that it has opened the door to lawlessness and warlord-style rule over desperately needed aid. At the centre of it all is Abu Shabab, a man whose power now rests not on legitimacy among his people, but on assisting Israeli army and willingness to exploit the hunger and chaos of a besieged population. Multiple sources inside Gaza, including aid workers and residents near the Kerem Shalom crossing, describe Yasser Abu Shabab as the key architect of the looting operations that have plagued aid convoys for months. Witnesses recount seeing his fighters, sometimes accompanied by men in civilian clothes, intercept trucks as soon as they entered southern Gaza. Under his direct orders, entire shipments of flour, rice, and canned goods were diverted to storage sites controlled by his group, often to be sold on the black market or redistributed through clan-linked networks. Several drivers reported being threatened at gunpoint if they refused to cooperate, as some of them were forced to pay protection simply to pass. Humanitarian officials say the scale and organisation of the thefts suggest a centralised command and point to Abu Shabab's presence during several high-profile raids. 'This isn't chaotic looting by hungry people. This is a system, and Abu Shabab is running it,' one UN worker who spoke on condition of anonymity said. In response to Abu Shabab's violent raids and the escalating looting of aid convoys, Hamas, faced with growing public anger and the deepening humanitarian crisis, has taken the unusual step of publicly acknowledging the threat posed by rogue armed groups operating under Israeli protection. Diyaa Al-Nasara, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry in Gaza, confirmed in a press release that Hamas has activated what it calls the 'Popular and Revolutionary Committees' to combat aid looting and confront what he described as 'bandits' obstructing the delivery of life-saving aid. 'People are being forced to buy from thieves,' he said, referring to the widespread diversion of food and fuel. According to Hamas officials, these new units have carried out at least a dozen raids across Rafah and Khan Younis, resulting in direct confrontations with looters. For Hamas, the issue is not just humanitarian, it is a matter of sovereignty. By mobilising against Abu Shabab's forces, the group is signalling that it will not tolerate a parallel authority backed by Israeli arms, even in the midst of war. In late May and again in mid-June, Gaza's hunger-stricken residents faced a deadly gamble when they queued for food at various US-backed distribution hubs. One of the worst occurred on 27 May in Rafah's Tel Al-Sultan, where thousands gathered at a site overseen by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). As aid trucks rolled in, panic erupted. Witnesses say civilians, including starved families, surged forward only to be met with live fire from nearby Israeli forces. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 10 Palestinians were killed and more than 60 injured. A second outbreak of violence on 14 June, this time near the Netzarim corridor, left at least 15 dead at another US-backed aid point. Locals describe screaming and chaos as bullets reportedly rained down on desperate crowds. For many on the ground, these were not tragic accidents, they were the harrowing result of distributing food in heavily militarised zones, where what should have been a lifeline became a horrific, deadly trap. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that since the GHF programme began in late May, approximately 274 Palestinians have been killed and over 2,000 injured at US distribution points. With Gaza's land crossings sealed and its airspace dominated by drones, even the sea has been closed off to those trying to help. The Madleen flotilla, a civilian aid ship organised by international solidarity groups, was intercepted by Israeli forces before it could reach Gaza's shore last week. For many people in Gaza, what happened to the Madleen aid boat was an effort to bring help blocked before it could reach them. 'They stop the ships just like they stop the aid trucks. My people are hungry, trapped, and forgotten,' a Palestinian man currently staying in Egypt said. Meanwhile, internet and mobile communications were partially restored in Gaza after a four-day total blackout, offering a brief lifeline to residents and humanitarian workers who had been completely cut off from the outside world. Local sources confirmed that technicians, braving dangerous conditions and scarce resources, managed to restore parts of the network in Gaza City and sections of the northern Strip on Friday. The outage, caused by damage to critical infrastructure amid relentless Israeli bombardment, had crippled emergency coordination and severely disrupted aid operations, leaving people unable to call for help or share their suffering with the outside world. In a place where even the delivery of aid has become a deadly gamble, the communications breakdown served as yet another painful reminder of Gaza's isolation, a silence that speaks volumes about the depth of the crisis. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, 55,297 Palestinians have been killed and over 128,426 injured by Israel as of 7 October, 2023. * A version of this article appears in print in the 19 June, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Arab News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
The enemy of my enemy could be my enemy as well
Not every proverb that sounds plausible is necessarily universally true, and 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend,' which is thought to originate from an Indian Sanskrit treatise, the Arthasastra, dating back to around the 4th century B.C., is no exception. On more than one occasion in history, the enemy of one's enemy has proved, in fact, to be one's enemy as well. I was reminded of this proverb when I learned that Israeli authorities have been arming a Palestinian militia in Gaza — as if there was not already enough weaponry there to cause horrific bloodshed — as part of their efforts to 'eliminate' Hamas. For more than a year we have repeatedly heard from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel was 'a step away from victory' in this effort. This has proved to be more a case of wishful thinking than reality. Netanyahu has now publicly acknowledged that Israel is arming what it calls a 'clan' that operates in the Rafah area and is led by Yasser Abu Shabab who, according to the European Council on Foreign Affairs, is a gang leader who is widely accused of looting aid trucks, has been jailed by Hamas for drug smuggling, and 'has alleged ties' with Daesh. Not your ordinary guy who you would want to mix with, then. His group consists of anything from 100 to 250 armed men, and is somewhere between a militia and a criminal gang — most probably both. To find an ally in times of conflict is to gain an asset, and to divide and rule is another war tactic known since the dawn of history. But if allies are not selected carefully, the long-term unintended consequences can be worse than the immediate supposed benefits. The Soviet Union was hardly a friend of the West after the Second World War, but the US decision to arm the mujahideen when the Russians invaded Afghanistan came back to haunt Washington, for example. Similarly, Israel's support of Hamas in its early days, as a counter to Fatah, and continuing to do so until the disastrous consequences of this manifested themselves on Oct. 7, 2023, was an act of sheer self-harm. Why they would now repeat that mistake with a similar folly is incomprehensible. Netanyahu did not hide his true intentions when asked about arming Abu Shabab's group. He said: 'We have mobilized clans in Gaza that oppose Hamas. What's wrong with that?' The answer to his question is: Where do we start? Netanyahu's interpretation of 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' reveals ignorance and an extreme lack of judgment, possibly signs of desperation, and the air of a colonialist approach. He is confusing the concept of a clan with what is simply a band of criminals, wrongly equating the latter with legitimate local leaders who represent the best interests of their people — alliances that have been a method of maintaining control that occupying forces have employed for centuries. But forging an alliance with legitimate local leaders is very different from being in cahoots with those who for months have been accused by Palestinians and international humanitarian organizations of looting aid lorries and profiting from the misery of their own people. In their inability to achieve the unrealistic goal of eliminating Hamas, Israeli authorities are instead coming up with ideas that are detached from reality. In this case they are looking for allies that appear uninterested in helping to fulfill the national aspirations of the Palestinian people and instead are more interested in enriching themselves, and possibly gaining political power. Netanyahu has now publicly acknowledged that Israel is arming Yasser Abu Shabab, a gang leader who is widely accused of looting aid trucks. Yossi Mekelberg It is obvious why Israel opposes Hamas remaining in control of Gaza. But the organization has said — though the claim has yet to be tested — it is prepared to hand over governance of the territory to any Palestinian organization that is agreed upon nationally and regionally. However, it insists it will not disband, and so a formula is required to ensure the organization does not pose a threat to Israeli security or Palestinian unity. Netanyahu also rejects postwar Palestinian Authority governance of Gaza, having declared this year that 'the day after the war in Gaza, neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority will be there.' This approach raises the suspicion that by supporting armed militias, Israel is deliberately becoming an agent of chaos whose goal is not necessarily to defeat Hamas but to prolong the war indefinitely, thus helping to ensure Netanyahu's government remains in power, at least until next year's general election. In recent weeks, we have seen demonstrations of spontaneous popular opposition to Hamas, despite a brutal crackdown on such dissent by the organization, with hundreds of demonstrators calling for it to be ousted and the war to end. Considering the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza — recently described during an interview with the BBC by International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric as 'worse than hell on Earth' — it is only to be expected that ordinary Gazans, who for nearly two years have been enduring such a hellish situation, would vent their anger against both Israel and Hamas. But the engagement by Israel with clans and militias, and even gangs, has nothing to do with trying to alleviate the suffering of the 2.3 million people of Gaza; it is all about creating a force to counter Hamas, and to undermine the Palestinian Authority and also the Palestine Liberation Organization's position as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. While some clans in Gaza were approached last year with the aim of creating an opposition to Hamas, the Abu Shabab gang is not regarded as a clan but calls itself, according to media reports, an 'antiterror service,' with no clear aims or indication of who it serves. If this is truly the case, Israel is creating a monster that will take a long time to contain once it is let loose, as we have seen with similar situations in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. And it will pose a threat, first and foremost, to Israel itself. When countries embark on risky experiments of this kind with nonstate actors, they toy with the idea that they will always be able to control and even disarm them when they have outlived their usefulness. History shows us that in many cases, such groups develop their own sets of interests and revenue streams, not to mention coalitions with like-minded armed groups, sometimes even those they were initially supposed to contain. Meanwhile the country that initially sponsored them tends to lose control of them. Worse still for Israel, since Abu Shabab is depicted on social media in Gaza as 'the Israeli agent' — in other words a traitor, which in the middle of a bitter war is as good as putting a bounty on his head — he has an incentive either to eventually join forces with Hamas, or simply turn on Israel using the weapons it put in his hands. This might be the right time for the Netanyahu government to recognize that there are better ways to undermine extremism and fundamentalism than encouraging civil war. In this case, they begin with ending the killing of innocent civilians, allowing humanitarian aid to reach those that so desperately need it, and then recognizing the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. It would be well worth checking this alternative path in place of the one Israel is on. • Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. X: @YMekelberg
South Wales Guardian
12-06-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Dispute over identity of 12 reported killed by Hamas police force in Gaza
It was not immediately possible to verify the competing claims or confirm the identities of those killed on Thursday. The militia, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, said its fighters had attacked Hamas and killed five militants but made no mention of its own casualties. It also accused Hamas of detaining and killing aid workers. The deaths were the latest sign of turmoil surrounding the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private contractor that Israel says will replace the UN in distributing food to Gaza's more than two million people. Over the past two weeks, dozens of Palestinians have been killed and hundreds wounded in near daily shootings as they try to reach GHF centres, with witnesses saying Israeli troops have repeatedly opened fire. On Wednesday, at least 13 people were killed and 170 wounded when Israeli forces fired towards a crowd of Palestinians near a GHF centre in central Gaza, according to the al-Awda Hospital, which received the casualties. The military said it fired warning shots overnight at a gathering that posed a threat, hundreds of metres from the aid site. Meanwhile, internet and phone lines were down across Gaza, according to telecom provider Paltel and the Palestinian telecoms authority. They said a key line had been severed during an Israeli operation and that the military would not allow technicians into the area to repair it. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. The UN humanitarian office, known as OCHA, said emergency services were cut off because of the outage, and civilians could not call ambulances. It said most UN agencies and aid groups could not reach their staff on the ground. Israel has barred international journalists from entering Gaza, making it difficult to confirm what happened in the killings early on Wednesday near the southern city of Khan Younis. The GHF said Hamas attacked a bus carrying more than two dozen of its Palestinian aid workers on Thursday, killing at least eight and wounding others. It said it feared some had been abducted. 'We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms,' it said. 'These were aid workers. Humanitarians. Fathers, brothers, sons and friends who were risking their lives every day to help others.' The Israeli military circulated the GHF statement but declined to provide its own account of what happened. OCHA said it could not confirm the circumstances of the killings but added: 'Civilians must never be attacked, let alone those trying to access or provide food amid mass starvation.' The GHF said its staff at the centres include unarmed Palestinian employees. Many are armed international contractors, mainly Americans, guarding the centres. Fighters with the Abu Shabab group are deployed inside the Israeli military zones that surround the GHF centres, according to witnesses. Earlier this week, witnesses said Abu Shabab militiamen had opened fire on people en route to a GHF aid hub, killing and wounding many. GHF says it does not work with the Abu Shabab group. Last week, Israel acknowledged it is supporting armed groups of Palestinians opposed to Hamas. Hamas has rejected the GHF system and threatened to kill any Palestinians who co-operate with the Israeli military. The Sahm police unit, which Hamas says it established to combat looting, released video footage showing several dead men lying in the street, saying they were Abu Shabab fighters who had been detained and killed for collaborating with Israel. It was not possible to verify the images or the claims around them. Ghassan Duhine, who identifies himself as deputy commander of the Abu Shabab group and a major in the Palestinian Authority's security forces, issued a statement saying Abu Shabab fighters had clashed with Sahm and killed five. He denied that the bodies in Sahm's images were the group's fighters. The Palestinian Authority, led by rivals of Hamas and based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has denied any connection to the Abu Shabab group, but many of the militiamen identify themselves as PA officers.
BreakingNews.ie
12-06-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Dispute over identity of 12 reported killed by Hamas police force in Gaza
A unit of Gaza's Hamas-run police force says it has killed 12 members of an Israeli-backed Palestinian militia after detaining them, but an Israel-supported aid group said the dead were its workers. It was not immediately possible to verify the competing claims or confirm the identities of those killed on Thursday. Advertisement The militia, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, said its fighters had attacked Hamas and killed five militants but made no mention of its own casualties. It also accused Hamas of detaining and killing aid workers. The deaths were the latest sign of turmoil surrounding the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private contractor that Israel says will replace the UN in distributing food to Gaza's more than two million people. Palestinians with aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) Over the past two weeks, dozens of Palestinians have been killed and hundreds wounded in near daily shootings as they try to reach GHF centres, with witnesses saying Israeli troops have repeatedly opened fire. On Wednesday, at least 13 people were killed and 170 wounded when Israeli forces fired towards a crowd of Palestinians near a GHF centre in central Gaza, according to the al-Awda Hospital, which received the casualties. Advertisement The military said it fired warning shots overnight at a gathering that posed a threat, hundreds of metres from the aid site. Meanwhile, internet and phone lines were down across Gaza, according to telecom provider Paltel and the Palestinian telecoms authority. They said a key line had been severed during an Israeli operation and that the military would not allow technicians into the area to repair it. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. The UN humanitarian office, known as OCHA, said emergency services were cut off because of the outage, and civilians could not call ambulances. It said most UN agencies and aid groups could not reach their staff on the ground. Israel has barred international journalists from entering Gaza, making it difficult to confirm what happened in the killings early on Wednesday near the southern city of Khan Younis. Advertisement The GHF said Hamas attacked a bus carrying more than two dozen of its Palestinian aid workers on Thursday, killing at least eight and wounding others. It said it feared some had been abducted. 'We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms,' it said. 'These were aid workers. Humanitarians. Fathers, brothers, sons and friends who were risking their lives every day to help others.' The Israeli military circulated the GHF statement but declined to provide its own account of what happened. OCHA said it could not confirm the circumstances of the killings but added: 'Civilians must never be attacked, let alone those trying to access or provide food amid mass starvation.' Advertisement The GHF said its staff at the centres include unarmed Palestinian employees. Many are armed international contractors, mainly Americans, guarding the centres. Fighters with the Abu Shabab group are deployed inside the Israeli military zones that surround the GHF centres, according to witnesses. Earlier this week, witnesses said Abu Shabab militiamen had opened fire on people en route to a GHF aid hub, killing and wounding many. GHF says it does not work with the Abu Shabab group. Last week, Israel acknowledged it is supporting armed groups of Palestinians opposed to Hamas. Hamas has rejected the GHF system and threatened to kill any Palestinians who co-operate with the Israeli military. Advertisement The Sahm police unit, which Hamas says it established to combat looting, released video footage showing several dead men lying in the street, saying they were Abu Shabab fighters who had been detained and killed for collaborating with Israel. It was not possible to verify the images or the claims around them. Ghassan Duhine, who identifies himself as deputy commander of the Abu Shabab group and a major in the Palestinian Authority's security forces, issued a statement saying Abu Shabab fighters had clashed with Sahm and killed five. He denied that the bodies in Sahm's images were the group's fighters. The Palestinian Authority, led by rivals of Hamas and based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has denied any connection to the Abu Shabab group, but many of the militiamen identify themselves as PA officers.
Powys County Times
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Dispute over identity of 12 reported killed by Hamas police force in Gaza
A unit of Gaza's Hamas-run police force says it has killed 12 members of an Israeli-backed Palestinian militia after detaining them, but an Israel-supported aid group said the dead were its workers. It was not immediately possible to verify the competing claims or confirm the identities of those killed on Thursday. The militia, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, said its fighters had attacked Hamas and killed five militants but made no mention of its own casualties. It also accused Hamas of detaining and killing aid workers. The deaths were the latest sign of turmoil surrounding the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private contractor that Israel says will replace the UN in distributing food to Gaza's more than two million people. Over the past two weeks, dozens of Palestinians have been killed and hundreds wounded in near daily shootings as they try to reach GHF centres, with witnesses saying Israeli troops have repeatedly opened fire. On Wednesday, at least 13 people were killed and 170 wounded when Israeli forces fired towards a crowd of Palestinians near a GHF centre in central Gaza, according to the al-Awda Hospital, which received the casualties. The military said it fired warning shots overnight at a gathering that posed a threat, hundreds of metres from the aid site. Meanwhile, internet and phone lines were down across Gaza, according to telecom provider Paltel and the Palestinian telecoms authority. They said a key line had been severed during an Israeli operation and that the military would not allow technicians into the area to repair it. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. The UN humanitarian office, known as OCHA, said emergency services were cut off because of the outage, and civilians could not call ambulances. It said most UN agencies and aid groups could not reach their staff on the ground. Israel has barred international journalists from entering Gaza, making it difficult to confirm what happened in the killings early on Wednesday near the southern city of Khan Younis. The GHF said Hamas attacked a bus carrying more than two dozen of its Palestinian aid workers on Thursday, killing at least eight and wounding others. It said it feared some had been abducted. 'We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms,' it said. 'These were aid workers. Humanitarians. Fathers, brothers, sons and friends who were risking their lives every day to help others.' The Israeli military circulated the GHF statement but declined to provide its own account of what happened. OCHA said it could not confirm the circumstances of the killings but added: 'Civilians must never be attacked, let alone those trying to access or provide food amid mass starvation.' The GHF said its staff at the centres include unarmed Palestinian employees. Many are armed international contractors, mainly Americans, guarding the centres. Fighters with the Abu Shabab group are deployed inside the Israeli military zones that surround the GHF centres, according to witnesses. Earlier this week, witnesses said Abu Shabab militiamen had opened fire on people en route to a GHF aid hub, killing and wounding many. GHF says it does not work with the Abu Shabab group. Last week, Israel acknowledged it is supporting armed groups of Palestinians opposed to Hamas. Hamas has rejected the GHF system and threatened to kill any Palestinians who co-operate with the Israeli military. The Sahm police unit, which Hamas says it established to combat looting, released video footage showing several dead men lying in the street, saying they were Abu Shabab fighters who had been detained and killed for collaborating with Israel. It was not possible to verify the images or the claims around them. Ghassan Duhine, who identifies himself as deputy commander of the Abu Shabab group and a major in the Palestinian Authority's security forces, issued a statement saying Abu Shabab fighters had clashed with Sahm and killed five. He denied that the bodies in Sahm's images were the group's fighters. The Palestinian Authority, led by rivals of Hamas and based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has denied any connection to the Abu Shabab group, but many of the militiamen identify themselves as PA officers.
