On October 2023, XNUMX, Yasser Abu Shabab was languishing in a Hamas-run prison in Gaza, accused of drug trafficking. After the outbreak of the conflict, the Palestinian from Rafah managed to leave the prison, although the circumstances of his release are still unclear, the Guardian reports.
Abu Shabaab has been out of the public eye for some time. That changed last week, when Israeli military officials admitted that they had begun arming a clan calling itself the Counter-Terrorism Service. The group, which is under Abu Shabaab’s command and consists of about 100 armed men, operates in the eastern part of Rafah. On social media in Gaza, Abu Shabaab is nicknamed “Israeli agent” and describes itself as a “traitor.”
Officials have said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) aim is to “reduce casualties among Israeli soldiers” while systematically undermining Hamas. Critics, however, warn that Israel’s alliance with the criminal gang could push Gaza to the brink of civil war, the British newspaper writes.
Abu Shabaab, 32, has become a powerful figure, controlling aid routes near the strategically important Kerem Shalom crossing. Members of his group have been accused of robbing food trucks and having links to jihadist groups.
Jonathan Vitol, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian territories, said last month: “Aid theft has been carried out since the beginning of the war by criminal gangs, under the supervision of Israeli forces, and they are allowed to operate near the Kerem Shalom crossing.”
When asked by The Guardian, Vitol confirmed that this "refers to gangs like Abu Shabaab."
In a written interview with a British newspaper, Abu Shabaab accused Hamas of waging war in Gaza, rejected accusations of looting, and claimed that his clan provides security for aid trucks entering Gaza from the Kerem Shalom direction.
"My activities are humanitarian in nature and are intended exclusively for my people," Abu Shabaab said. "We provide security in areas under the control of our national forces and provide support to hundreds of families, while hundreds of people come to our territory every day."
Several videos circulating on social media in Gaza, originating from his Facebook profile, show members of the Abu Shabaab group operating alongside Israeli soldiers in IDF-controlled areas in southern Gaza.
When asked if his group cooperates with Israeli forces, Abu Shabaab replied: "We do not work directly with the Israeli military."
The Times of Israel, citing Israeli military sources, reported that Israel had provided members of the Abu Shabaab faction with Kalashnikov assault rifles, including weapons seized from Hamas.
After Israel eased its aid blockade on Gaza, dozens of food trucks enter the territory daily through the Kerem Shalom crossing and continue towards Rafah, where Abu Shabaab has set up a series of checkpoints.
A diplomatic source told CNN that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a new US-backed organization entrusted by Israel with distributing aid in the enclave, had contact with Abu Shabaab, "either directly or indirectly."
When asked whether it was cooperating with GHF, which distributes food at three locations in Rafah, Abu Shabaab declined to comment.
A GHF spokesman told The Guardian: "We take care of our own security and do not have any local security. Our trucks have never been under the protection of Abu Shabaab or anyone else."
Without providing evidence to support his claims, which were often contradictory and refuted by his earlier statements or verifiable evidence, Abu Shabaab accused Hamas of looting humanitarian aid trucks.
"We are not taking anything from the aid trucks," said Abu Shabaab, who did not return calls or messages, but communicated via an email address he provided to international media and which was confirmed by his associates. "The aid is being stolen in areas controlled by Hamas."
However, in an interview with The New York Times in November 2024, Abu Shabaab admitted that its men had attacked at least six aid trucks since the beginning of the war.
"We take trucks so we can eat, not to sell it," he said at the time, citing that he was feeding his family.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while not naming Abu Shabaab, admitted that he had "activated" clans in Gaza that oppose Hamas.
Since Abu Shabaab's name appeared in the media, Hamas has publicly stated that it is determined to kill him. The Guardian reports that Abu Shabaab has personal reasons to hate Hamas because the group killed his brother last year, and he has survived at least two assassination attempts.
“The war will not stop as long as Hamas persists in its stance,” Abu Shabaab said.
Israeli channel i24 reported on Wednesday that Israeli soldiers clashed with Hamas fighters to protect Abu Shabaab from assassination, with casualties on both sides.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while not naming Abu Shabaab, admitted that he had “activated” clans in Gaza that oppose Hamas.
Netanyahu's statements caused a storm in Israel. Opposition leaders accused the government of arming a group of thugs and criminals "who identify with the Islamic State."
Abu Shabaab's ties to Israeli forces were also confirmed by his family, who issued a statement last week officially disowning him. "We will not accept Yasser's return to the family. We have no objection to his associates immediately liquidating him," the statement said.
The rise of Abu Shabaab as the first Palestinian to be publicly acknowledged as a collaborator with Israeli forces since the start of the Gaza war could, according to many analysts, ignite a dangerous new phase of the conflict, writes The Guardian.
In addition to the conflict with Hamas, his clan could soon face violent clashes with rival gangs and members of the popular committees in Gaza, according to Israeli media.
They warn that this is an environment in which civil wars often break out, and where civilians, as a rule, pay the highest price.
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