Anti-Hamas Gaza militia leader warns of being ‘wiped out’ if ceasefire is reached

Yasser Abu Shabab says his anti-Hamas group risks being “wiped out” without international protection.

By David Brummer, World Israel News

Yasser Abu Shabab, leader of a Gaza-based militia fighting Hamas, has warned that he and his forces could face deadly retribution if a ceasefire is reached without guarantees for their safety.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Abu Shabab urged the international community to protect his group from Hamas attacks should Israel withdraw.

“Hamas either accuses its opposition of being traitors working with Israel or being criminals. I am neither of these,” Abu Shabab said.

“I was an ordinary construction worker before the war. I have no military training, I am just an ordinary Palestinian who cares about his people.”

Abu Shabab heads a militia known as the Popular Forces, which operates in southeastern Gaza near the Israeli and Egyptian borders.

Israel is widely believed to have armed and supported the group as a counterbalance to Hamas, a fact indirectly acknowledged by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Last month, Netanyahu confirmed his government had “activated clans” in Gaza opposed to Hamas, though he did not name specific groups.

Critics, including UN aid officials, accuse Abu Shabab’s fighters of looting humanitarian aid and collaborating with Israeli forces.

Sam Rose of UNRWA claimed Abu Shabab’s militia was responsible for looting aid convoys entering Gaza, operating openly near Israeli troops.

Abu Shabab denied the accusations, blaming Hamas for stealing aid and insisting his tribe funded the distribution of goods to Gazans in need.

The militia man belongs to the Tarabin family, a large Bedouin tribe with members in Gaza, Egypt, Jordan, and Gulf countries.

“We used money from our tribe to buy products from Gaza markets and give them to needy people,” he said.

Abu Shabab also denied receiving weapons from Israel, saying his group “inherited weapons from the Tarabin tribe.”

Still, his ability to operate in Israeli-controlled areas without facing IDF attacks has fueled speculation about ties with Israel.

His deputy, Ghassan Duhine, a former Palestinian Authority intelligence officer, echoed concerns that Hamas will exploit any ceasefire to eliminate rivals.

“We are trying to secure our areas and ourselves as much as possible and be ready for a ceasefire. But there is no real support for us to fight Hamas,” Duhine said.

He estimated that hundreds of families, numbering thousands of people, reside in their so-called “safe area.”

Hamas has already targeted Abu Shabab’s family, allegedly killing 52 relatives, including his brother and cousin.

Earlier this month, a Hamas court ordered him to surrender within 10 days on charges of treason and collaboration. His presentation would almost inevitably lead to a “show trial” followed by swift execution.

Shabab emphasized his vision for Gaza post-war: “First, we need to defeat terrorism, and after that, our ideal Gaza is one open to the world, to Egypt, Arab countries, and Israel.”

Yet, survival remains uncertain. On Wednesday, the Popular Forces announced their training commander, Col. Emad Abu Khatla, had been killed.

Duhine revealed that some Hamas members had defected and sought refuge in their zone, though Israel tightly controls movement into the area.

“We see this as a way to build a better future for Gazans,” said Abu Shabab. “We want our area to be a model of how Gaza can defeat terrorism and return to normal.”

Whether his vision materializes may depend on whether the world steps in to shield him and his fighters from Hamas’s reach.