Report: Head of Israel-backed anti-Hamas militia assassinated

Hamas-aligned media outlets in Gaza claim that head of the Abu Shabab militia, which has cooperated with Israel against Hamas, has been killed.

By World Israel News Staff

The head of an anti-Hamas militia in the Gaza Strip which has cooperated with the Israeli military was killed on Thursday, according to unconfirmed reports from Hamas-aligned Arabic-language media outlets.

The reports claim that Yasser Abu Shabab, 31, the head of the Popular Forces militia, was killed by assassins during an ambush set by terrorists from Hamas’ Al Qassem Brigades, with no details yet available regarding the location of the ambush or nature of the attack.

Preliminary reports also indicate that Abu Shabab’s deputy, Ghasan al-Dahini, was killed in the same ambush.

There are currently conflicting reports regarding Abu Shabab’s condition, with a report from Israel Hayom claiming that the militia chief was rushed to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba following the ambush, and was declared dead soon after his arrival.

Other sources, however, cite Abu Shabab’s wife, who reportedly denied that he was killed.

A report by Israel’s Channel 14 claimed that the killing involved rival Gazan clans, though Hamas also played a role. Israel attempted, unsuccessfully, to save Abu Shabab from the ambush.

According to a report by the Jerusalem Post, an Israeli security source confirmed that Abu Shabab was killed Thursday, but denied that Hamas was responsible.

Israel is investigating the incident, Galei Tzahal radio reported.

A member of the Bedouin Tarabin tribe in the Rafah area of southern Gaza, Abu Shabab was a former drug smuggler convicted of trafficking a decade ago and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

After the beginning of the Gaza war, however, Abu Shabab managed to escape incarceration.

His militia, which reportedly once had ties to ISIS, has been working with Israel since the invasion of Rafah in 2024 to combat Hamas.