Moons of the Shahwan family, my cousin / Yazan Ayman Shahwan, my cousin / Muhammad Youssef Shahwan, my cousin / Muhammad Hussam Shahwan, may God have mercy on them and accept them and gather us with them at the pool with the best of mankind, Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace.... See more

And the return of the working group to its bases safely.. And these are the names of the dead criminals of the terrorist Sahm: the criminal Muhammad Hussam Shawan, the criminal Abdul Rahman Salah Abu Masoud, the criminal Yazan Ayman Shawan, the criminal Muhammad Yusuf Shawan, the criminal Majdi Al-Kalazani, the son of the criminal Naseem, who is wanted by the popular forces, who excelled in suppressing the people.

وعودة المجموعة العاملة الى قواعدها بسلام .. وهذه أسماء القتلى من مجرمي سهم الإرهابية المجرم محمد حسام شهوان المجرم عبد الرحمان صلاح ابو مسعود المجرم يزن ايمن شهوان المجرم محمد يوسف شهوان المجرم مجدي الكلازاني نجل المجرم نسيم المطلوب للقوات الشعبيه ممن تفننوا في قمع الشعب

Military Communiqué No. 2/25: An active group of the Special Operations Groups of the Popular Forces, through a well-planned ambush, eliminated a group affiliated with the terrorist Sahm gang, the dirty arm of Hamas, which suppressed the people an hour ago. The Popular Forces used anti-personnel launchers for the first time. The active group returned safely to their bases. These are the names of the dead Sahm terrorist criminals: Criminal Muhammad Hussam Shahwan Criminal Abdul Rahman Salah Abu Masoud Criminal Yazan Ayman Shahwan Criminal Muhammad Yusuf Shahwan Criminal Majdi al-Kalazani, son of the criminal Naseem, wanted by the Popular Forces for his skill in suppressing the people. We pledged to the people that we will take revenge on those who have wronged them, and we have committed to this. We affirm our commitment to moving forward in the fight against terrorism until it is eliminated, leading to a safe and stable life, far from terrorism and its destructive and dirty effects. Popular Forces - Counter-Terrorism Gaza - Palestine

بلاغ عسكري رقم 2/25 : قامت مجموعة عاملة من مجموعات العمليات الخاصة التابعة للقوات الشعبية وعبر كمين محكم بالقضاء على مجموعة تتبع عصابة سهم الإرهابية الذراع القذر لحماس في قمع أبناء الشعب قبل ساعة من الآن إستخدمت فيها #القوات_الشعبية قواذف مضاد أفراد لأول مرة ، هذا وقد عادت المجموعة العاملة الى قواعدها بسلام وهذه أسماء القتلى من مجرمي سهم الإرهابية : المجرم محمد حسام شهوان المجرم عبد الرحمان صلاح ابو مسعود المجرم يزن ايمن شهوان المجرم محمد يوسف شهوان المجرم مجدي الكلازاني نجل المجرم نسيم المطلوب لقوات الشعب ممن تفننوا في قمع الشعب عاهدنا الشعب بأننا سننتقم ممن ظلمهم والتزمنا لذلك ، ونؤكد على المضي قدماً في محاربة الإرهاب حتى القضاء عليه وصولاً الى حياة آمنة مستقرة بعيدة عن الإرهاب وآثاره المدمرة والقذرة . القوات الشعبية _ مكافحة الإرهاب غزة - فلسطين

متابعة| عرف من شهداء قصف الاحتلال على منطقة "بطن السمين" جنوبي مدينة خان يونس: - يزن أيمن شهوان - محمد يوسف شهوان - محمد حسام شهوان - مجدي الكنزاني

متابعة| عرف من شهداء قصف الاحتلال على منطقة "بطن السمين" جنوبي مدينة خان يونس: - يزن أيمن شهوان - محمد يوسف شهوان - محمد حسام شهوان - مجدي الكنزاني

An ongoing charity for the soul of the martyr (Majdi Naseem Al-Kalzani) {﷽}. . ۞ Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds ۞ The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful ۞ Master of the Day of Judgment ۞ You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for help ۞ Guide us to the straight path ۞ The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger, nor of those who have gone astray ۞… See more

صدقة جارية عن روح الشهيد ( مجدي نسيم الكلزاني ) { ﷽ }. . ۞ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ۞ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ۞ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ۞ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ۞ اهدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ۞ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ۞… See more

With hearts full of faith in God’s will and destiny, I received the news of the martyrdom of my childhood friend, “Majdi Naseem Al-Kalzani.” To God we belong and to Him we shall return. Praise be to God in all circumstances. There is no power or strength except with God. I ask God to grant you Paradise and eternity in the highest paradise. Peace be upon you, my love.

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful" The eye sheds tears, the heart is saddened, and we are truly grieved by your departure. With broken hearts and souls that believe in Allah's will and destiny, we proudly and deeply saddenedly announce the martyrdom of our heroes and loved ones: the sons of one of the great leaders, the best of the youth loyal to Allah / who sold themselves and their souls and kept their covenant with Allah Almighty, not for the sake of chairs and positions, you scum of humanity, the martyrs of the honorable Shahwan family, the martyr hero "Muhammad Hussam Shahwan", the martyr hero "Yazan Ayman Shahwan", the martyr hero "Muhammad Yusuf Shahwan" in the battle of honor and dignity in the city of Khan Yunis - the fat belly, where they wrote with their blood the most wonderful epics of heroism and sacrifice. We ask Allah to have mercy on them, to bestow patience and solace on the hearts of their families, and to make their pure blood a healing for our souls and a light for the path of freedom.

« بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم » إن العين لتدمع، وإن القلب ليحزن، وإنا على فراقكم لمحزونونبقلوب مكسورة وأرواح مؤمنة بقضاء الله وقدره، نعلن بكل فخر وحزن عميق عن استشهاد أبطالنا وأحبائنا : أبناء أحد القادة العظام خيرة الشباب المخلصين لله / من باعوا أنفسهم و أرواحهم و صدقوا العهد مع الله عزوجل و ليس من أجل الكراسي و المناصب يا حثالة البشر شهداء عائلة شهوان الكريمة الشهيد البطل « محمد حسام شهوان » الشهيد البطل « يزن أيمن شهوان » الشهيد البطل « محمد يوسف شهوان » في معركة العز والكرامة بمدينة خان يونس – البطن السمين، حيث كتبوا بدمائهم أروع ملاحم البطولة والتضحية.نسأل الله أن يتغمدهم بواسع رحمته، وأن ينزل على قلوب ذويهم الصبر والسلوان، وأن يجعل دماءهم الطاهرة شفاءً لأرواحنا ونورًا لطريق الحرية.

As the chapter closes on Yasser Abu Shabab, 32, the “Popular Forces” militia leader who appeared in Rafah during the war and was widely viewed as a collaborator with Israel, Ghassan al-Duhaini has been named his successor.Soon after Abu Shabab was killed last Thursday, reportedly during a family dispute mediation, al-Duhaini, who was said to be injured in the same altercation, appeared in a video online dressed in military fatigues and walking among masked fighters under his command.But who is Ghassan al-Duhaini? Has he just appeared, or was he there all along? Here’s what we know:Who is Ghassan al-Duhaini?Palestinian media sources say al-Duhaini, 39, has long been the group’s de facto leader, despite being officially the second-in-command.They argue that his experience and age made him the operational head, while Abu Shabab, the figure publicly recruited by Israel, served as the face of the militia.Al-Duhaini was born on October 3, 1987, in Rafah, southern Gaza. He belongs to the Tarabin Bedouin tribe, one of the largest Palestinian tribes that extends regionally and to which Abu Shabab belonged.He was a former officer in the Palestinian Authority security forces, where he held the rank of first lieutenant.Then he later joined Jaysh al-Islam, a Gaza-based armed faction with ideological ties to ISIL (ISIS).Video Duration 2 minutes 34 seconds 2:34 Now PlayingVideo Duration 02 minutes 34 seconds 02:34 Who was Yasser Abu Shabab, the Israel-backed militia leader killed in Gaza? NextVideo Duration 01 minutes 11 seconds 01:11 Kurdish-led SDF agrees integration with Syrian government forces Video Duration 01 minutes 54 seconds 01:54 Venezuela signs law opening up oil sector as US eases sanctions Video Duration 02 minutes 30 seconds 02:30 Venezuela oil industry reforms: Experts warn of long road ahead Video Duration 01 minutes 19 seconds 01:19 Diplomatic efforts intensify to avert US-Iran warDid he really take over after Abu Shabab?The militia announced al-Duhaini as its new commander on its official Facebook page on Friday.Al-Duhaini pledged to continue the group’s operations against Hamas.In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12, comments later reported by The Times of Israel on Saturday, al-Duhaini insisted he had no fear of Hamas.Get instant alerts and updates based on your interests. Be the first to know when big stories happen.“Why would I fear Hamas when I am fighting Hamas? I fight them, arrest their people, seize their equipment … in the name of the people and the free,” he said.On Friday, the militia published a promotional video on an affiliated Facebook page showing al-Duhaini inspecting a formation of armed fighters.He told Channel 12 that the footage was intended to demonstrate that the group “remains operational” despite the death of its leader.“His absence is painful, but it will not stop the war on terrorism,” he declared.Has he always been against Hamas?Hamas lists al-Duhaini among its most wanted figures, accusing him of collaborating with Israel, looting aid, and gathering intelligence on tunnel routes and military sites.Little information is available on why he left the security forces.Al-Duhaini has been increasingly active on social media, recently appearing prominently in a video showing the militia capturing and interrogating several Hamas members from a tunnel in Rafah.Abu Shabab’s group claimed the detentions were conducted “in accordance with the applicable security directive and in coordination with the international coalition”.He also appeared in a social media post beside what appeared to be several bodies, the caption saying they were Hamas men who had been “eliminated” as part of the group’s “counterterrorism” operations.Hamas has attempted to assassinate al-Duhaini twice, killing his brother in one operation and narrowly missing al-Duhaini in another, when a booby-trapped house east of Rafah was detonated.A Hamas source said al-Duhaini survived the blast “by sheer luck”, while four members of the attacking unit were killed and others wounded.What is the Popular Forces militia?The Popular Forces militia first came to prominence in 2024 under the leadership of Abu Shabab. It has an estimated 100 to 300 fighters who operate only metres from Israeli military sites, moving with their weapons under direct Israeli oversight.The militia is primarily based in eastern Rafah, near the Karem Abu Salem crossing, the only entry point through which Israel currently permits humanitarian aid into Gaza.A second unit is in western Rafah, near the notorious US-Israeli GHF aid distribution point, where hundreds of Palestinians have been shot as they sought aid.Security sources told Al Jazeera Arabic that the Israeli army oversaw the arming of Abu Shabab and that he leads “criminal gangs specialising in intercepting aid convoys coming from the [Karem Abu Salem] crossing in southern Gaza and firing on civilians”.Israeli newspaper Maariv reported in June that Israel’s intelligence agency, Shin Bet, was behind the recruitment of Abu Shabab’s gang, its chief Ronen Bar advising Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to enlist and arm the group.The so-called “pilot project” involved supplying the militia a limited and monitored number of rifles and handguns, the paper said.Shin Bet’s idea, Maariv continued, was to use the gang to test whether it could impose a form of “alternative governance” to Hamas in a small, contained area of Rafah.Still, some Israeli security officials, it added, do not view the group as a credible replacement for Hamas.Abu Shabab’s name later appeared in an internal United Nations memo in late 2024 that identified him as a central figure behind the systematic and large-scale looting of humanitarian aid entering Gaza.Reports about the group’s finances and operations suggest a pattern of systematic profiteering from Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.

The Popular Forces, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, announced its first attack against Hamas security personnel in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, near Hamas-controlled areas east of Rafah, in the far south of the Strip. Ghassan al-Dahini, Abu Shabab's deputy, stated on Facebook that "an operational unit from the Popular Forces' special operations groups ambushed a group from the 'Arrow' terrorist gang, the dirty arm of Hamas in suppressing the people," as he described it. He added, "The Popular Forces used anti-personnel rocket launchers for the first time, and the operational unit returned to its bases." Al-Dahini published a list of names of those he claimed were killed in the attack, members of the "Arrow Unit," a military group affiliated with Hamas, comprised of members of its military wing and its security services. During the war, the group was active in carrying out special operations against those it labels as criminals and highway robbers, executing "revolutionary sentences" by beating and mutilating them. The group led by Abu Shabab began taking broader steps to consolidate its control, including opening recruitment for fighters and announcing the formation of administrative and community committees in the areas it controls. The group presents itself as an alternative to Hamas in the Gaza Strip and operates in an area under Israeli military control. Its activities were recently highlighted after former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman stated that the Israeli government was arming armed groups in Gaza, a claim later confirmed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

أعلنت مجموعة "القوات الشعبية" التي يقودها ياسر أبو شباب، تنفيذ أول هجوم ضد عناصر أمن يتبعون لحركة حماس في خان يونس جنوب قطاع غزة، على مقربة من مواقع سيطرتها شرق رفح أقصى جنوب القطاع. وقال غسان الدهيني، وهو نائب ياسر أبو شباب، عبر "فيسبوك" إن "مجموعة عاملة من مجموعات العمليات الخاصة التابعة للقوات الشعبية، وأوقعت عبر كمين مجموعة من عصابة سهم الإرهابية الذراع القذر لحركة حماس في قمع أبناء الشعب"، على حد وصفه. وأضاف: "استخدمت القوات الشعبية، قواذف مضاد للأفراد لأول مرة، وعودة المجموعة العاملة إلى قواعدها".  ونشر الدهيني، مجموعة من أسماء القتلى الذين قال إنه تم القضاء عليهم خلال الهجوم، من "وحدة سهم" وهي مجموعة عسكرية تتبع حركة حماس، وتضم عناصر من جناحها العسكري وعناصر من أجهزة الأمن التابع للحركة. ونشطت المجموعة خلال الحرب في تنفيذ عمليات خاصة، ضد من تقول إنهم مجرمين وقاطعي طريق، وتنفذ بهم "أحكامًا ثورية" عبر ضربهم وتكسير أطرافهم. وبدأت المجموعة التي يقودها "أبو شباب" بالتحرك بخطوات أوسع لتعزيز سيطرتها، من بينها فتح باب التجنيد لمقاتلين في صفوفها، وكذلك إعلانها عن بدء تشكيل لجان إدارية ومجتمعية في المناطق التي تسيطر عليها. وتقدم المجموعة نفسها على أنها بديل لحركة حماس في قطاع غزة، وتنشط في منطقة خاضعة لسيطرة الجيش الإسرائيلي، وتم تسليط الضوء، مؤخرًا، على نشاطها، بعد إعلان وزير الدفاع الإسرائيلي الأسبق أفيغدور ليبرمان، أن الحكومة الإسرائيلي تسلّح مجموعات مسلحة في غزة، وهو ما أقره رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي بنيامين نتنياهو.

Jerusalem – The Gaza Strip recently witnessed a significant development with the announcement by the "Popular Forces" group, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, which received weapons from Israel, on Monday evening that it had carried out its first attack against Hamas security personnel in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, near Hamas-controlled areas east of Rafah, in the far south of the Strip. This attack comes in a context that raises serious questions about the growing role of armed militias in Gaza, especially after Israeli admissions of arming these groups. Ghassan al-Dahini, Yasser Abu Shabab's deputy, stated on his Facebook page that "an operational unit from the Popular Forces' special operations groups ambushed a group from the 'Arrow' terrorist gang, the dirty arm of Hamas in suppressing the people," as he described it. He added, "The Popular Forces used anti-personnel rocket launchers for the first time, and the operational unit returned to its bases." Al-Dahini published the names of the dead, whom he said belonged to the "Arrow Unit," a military group affiliated with Hamas that includes members of its military wing and security services. The "Arrow Unit" is known for its activities during the war, carrying out "revolutionary punishments" against those it labels as criminals and bandits, by beating and breaking their limbs. The "Popular Forces" group, led by Abu Shabab, has begun taking broader steps to consolidate its control, including opening recruitment for fighters and announcing the formation of administrative and community committees in the areas it controls. The group presents itself as an alternative to Hamas in the Gaza Strip and operates in an area under Israeli military control. Interest in the group's activities has recently increased following former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman's announcement that the Israeli government is arming armed groups in Gaza, a claim later confirmed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Thursday, Lieberman, leader of the opposition Yisrael Beiteinu party, stated that the Israeli government is "transferring weapons to a group of criminals and outlaws affiliated with ISIS." In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu's office did not deny the allegations, stating, "Israel is working to defeat Hamas in various ways, based on the recommendations of all the heads of the security services." Later, Netanyahu himself confirmed the arming of the militias, saying, "What's wrong with that? It's only good. It saves the lives of IDF soldiers." This development marks a turning point, as explicit Israeli statements indicate direct involvement in arming militias within Gaza. These militias, which present themselves as an alternative to Hamas, are described as including criminal elements and operating in areas under Israeli military control. This raises questions about the nature and objectives of these groups, and whether Israel truly aims to replace Hamas with local entities, even those with criminal records. The Israeli newspaper Maariv revealed on Monday evening that "most of the militia members armed by Israel in Gaza are criminals involved in drug trafficking and property crimes." This came in a newspaper report titled "Cooperation with Abu Shabab: Gangs Cannot Be a Long-Term Alternative." The newspaper stated that "the entity behind the recruitment of Abu Shabab's criminal gang is the General Security Service (Shin Bet)." Maariv indicated that the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, recommended to Prime Minister Netanyahu "proceeding with the recruitment of the gang and supplying it with Kalashnikov rifles and pistols seized from Hamas and Hezbollah during the war and transferred to Israeli army depots." Meanwhile, the Hebrew newspaper Yediot Aharonot reported on Friday that the "militia" that Israel is arming in Gaza engages in smuggling and extortion and has no interest in the Palestinian cause, according to an unnamed Israeli official. According to the newspaper, "Abu Shabab's gang comprises several dozen members and is a group based on a family and clan structure." She said that "most of the people recruited by the Shin Bet into this gang as a militia and mercenaries for Israel are criminals from Gaza involved in drug trafficking, smuggling, and property crimes." According to Yedioth Ahronoth, "Yasser Abu Shabab, a 32-year-old Bedouin from Rafah, presents himself on social media as the leader of a local militia, claiming it is designed to protect civilians and distribute humanitarian aid." However, the newspaper reports that he "became known for looting UN trucks last year and reselling humanitarian supplies intended for Gaza residents," accusations he denies. Hebrew reports paint a grim picture of these militias, linking them to criminal activity and drug smuggling. This reinforces doubts about the reliability of such groups as a genuine alternative to Hamas and casts doubt on the long-term goals of this Israeli strategy. Relying on criminal elements could exacerbate the chaos and insecurity in Gaza, rather than bring about stability. The Maariv newspaper noted that "the Shin Bet's operational project is based on using the gang as a pilot program to test whether it can impose a kind of alternative rule to Hamas in a small, specific area within Rafah." Maariv quoted an unnamed Israeli security source as saying that "the goal is not to build a comprehensive alternative to Hamas, but rather to test the possibility of creating local entities that could replace Hamas rule in specific geographic areas." The security source added that "there is a division of opinion within the Israeli security establishment regarding this move." He continued, "At the moment, this is a very small and limited move. It's a preliminary pilot project, and no one knows how or where it will develop." He acknowledged that "it is unclear to what extent the Abu Shabab gang members can be an influential force in the area where they will operate." According to the newspaper, there are those in the Israeli army who are "not enthusiastic about the idea of recruiting a criminal gang as a long-term solution and a strategic step." An unnamed Israeli military source was quoted as saying, “As long as it’s a local tactical move that helps us in some ways, we have no problem with it. But these gangs cannot be a substitute for Hamas’s long-term strategic plan.” The division within the Israeli security establishment indicates a lack of consensus on the effectiveness of this strategy. The acknowledgment that it is a “preliminary pilot project” and that its viability is “unclear” reflects uncertainty about these militias’ ability to achieve the desired objectives. Furthermore, relying on criminal gangs, even on a limited scale, could have serious long-term consequences and undermine any attempt to build a stable and legitimate government in Gaza.

القدس – شهد قطاع غزة مؤخرا تطورا لافتا مع إعلان مجموعة "القوات الشعبية"، بقيادة ياسر أبوشباب، التي تلقت أسلحة من إسرائيل مساء الاثنين تنفيذ أول هجوم ضد عناصر أمن يتبعون لحركة حماس في خان يونس جنوب قطاع غزة، على مقربة من مواقع سيطرتها شرق رفح أقصى جنوب القطاع. يأتي هذا الهجوم في سياق يثير تساؤلات جدية حول الدور المتزايد للميليشيات المسلحة في غزة، خاصة بعد إقرارات إسرائيلية بتسليح هذه المجموعات. وقال غسان الدهيني، وهو نائب ياسر أبوشباب، عبر صفحته على فيسبوك إن "مجموعة عاملة من مجموعات العمليات الخاصة التابعة للقوات الشعبية، وأوقعت عبر كمين مجموعة من عصابة سهم الإرهابية الذراع القذر لحركة حماس في قمع أبناء الشعب"، على حد وصفه. وأضاف "استخدمت القوات الشعبية، قواذف مضاد للأفراد لأول مرة، وعودة المجموعة العاملة إلى قواعدها". ونشر الدهيني أسماء القتلى الذين قال إنهم تابعون لـ "وحدة سهم"، وهي مجموعة عسكرية تتبع حركة حماس وتضم عناصر من جناحها العسكري وأجهزة الأمن التابعة للحركة. وتُعرف "وحدة سهم" بنشاطها خلال الحرب في تنفيذ "أحكام ثورية" ضد من تصفهم بالمجرمين وقطاع الطرق، من خلال ضربهم وتكسير أطرافهم. وبدأت مجموعة "القوات الشعبية" التي يقودها أبوشباب بالتحرك بخطوات أوسع لتعزيز سيطرتها، من بينها فتح باب التجنيد لمقاتلين في صفوفها، وكذلك إعلانها عن بدء تشكيل لجان إدارية ومجتمعية في المناطق التي تسيطر عليها. وتقدم المجموعة نفسها على أنها بديل لحركة حماس في قطاع غزة، وتنشط في منطقة خاضعة لسيطرة الجيش الإسرائيلي. وتزايد الاهتمام بنشاط هذه المجموعة مؤخرًا بعد إعلان وزير الدفاع الإسرائيلي الأسبق أفيغدور ليبرمان أن الحكومة الإسرائيلية تسلّح مجموعات مسلحة في غزة، وهو ما أقره رئيس الوزراء الإسرائيلي بنيامين نتنياهو. والخميس، زعيم حزب "إسرائيل بيتنا" المعارض ليبرمان إن الحكومة الإسرائيلية "تنقل أسلحة إلى مجموعة من المجرمين والمخالفين للقانون الذين ينتمون إلى داعش". وردا على ذلك، لم يُنكر مكتب رئيس الوزراء نتنياهو ذلك، وقال "تعمل إسرائيل على هزيمة حماس بطرقٍ مُختلفة ومُتنوعة، بناءً على توصية جميع رؤساء الأجهزة الأمنية". وفي وقت لاحق، أكد نتنياهو بنفسه تسليح الميليشيات، وقال "ما السيء في ذلك؟ هذا جيد فقط. ينقذ حياة جنود الجيش الإسرائيلي". ويمثل هذا التطور نقطة تحول، حيث تُشير التصريحات الإسرائيلية الصريحة إلى تورط مباشر في تسليح ميليشيات داخل غزة. وهذه الميليشيات، التي تُقدم نفسها كبديل لحماس، تُوصف بأنها تضم عناصر إجرامية وتعمل في مناطق خاضعة للجيش الإسرائيلي. وهذا يثير تساؤلات حول طبيعة هذه المجموعات وأهدافها، وهل تهدف إسرائيل حقا إلى استبدال حماس بكيانات محلية، حتى لو كانت ذات سجل إجرامي. وكشفت صحيفة "معاريف" العبرية ، مساء الاثنين أن "معظم عناصر الميليشيا التي سلحتها إسرائيل في غزة هم مجرمون ينشطون في تهريب وبيع المخدرات وجرائم الممتلكات". وجاء ذلك في تقرير للصحيفة تحت عنوان "التعاون مع أبوشباب.. لا يمكن للعصابات أن تكون بديلا على المدى الطويل". وذكرت الصحيفة أن "الجهة التي تقف وراء تجنيد عصابة أبوشباب الإجرامية هي جهاز الأمن العام (الشاباك)". وأشارت "معاريف" إلى أن رئيس الجهاز رونين بار، هو من أوصى رئيس الوزراء نتنياهو "بالمضي قدما في تجنيد العصابة، وتزويدها ببنادق كلاشينكوف ومسدسات غُنمت من حماس وحزب الله خلال الحرب، وتم نقلها لمستودعات الجيش الإسرائيلي". بينما ذكرت صحيفة "يديعوت أحرونوت" العبرية، الجمعة، أن "المليشيا" التي تسلحها إسرائيل بغزة تعمل بالتهريب والابتزاز ولا تهتم بالقضية الفلسطينية، وفق ما نقلته عن مسؤول إسرائيلي لم تسمّه. ووفق الصحيفة، فإن "عصابة أبوشباب تضم عدة عشرات من الأعضاء، وهي مجموعة تقوم على أساس عائلي عشائري". وقالت إن "أغلب الأشخاص الذين جندهم الشاباك ضمن هذه العصابة كميليشيا ومرتزقة لصالح إسرائيل، هم مجرمون من غزة يعملون في تجارة المخدرات، والتهريب، وجرائم الممتلكات". ووفق "يديعوت أحرونوت" فإن "ياسر أبوشباب، وهو بدوي (32 عاما) من سكان رفح، يُقدم على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي كقائد لميليشيا محلية ويزعم أنها مُصممة لحماية المدنيين وتوزيع المساعدات الإنسانية". لكنه وفق الصحيفة "اشتهر بنهب شاحنات الأمم المتحدة العام الماضي، وإعادة بيع الإمدادات الإنسانية المخصصة لسكان غزة"، وهي اتهامات نفى صحتها كما تقول. وتُقدم التقارير العبرية صورة قاتمة عن هذه الميليشيات، حيث تربطها بالنشاط الإجرامي وتهريب المخدرات. وهذا يعزز الشكوك حول مدى إمكانية الاعتماد على مثل هذه المجموعات كبديل حقيقي لحماس، ويُلقي بظلال من الشك على الأهداف طويلة المدى لهذه الاستراتيجية الإسرائيلية. فالاعتماد على عناصر إجرامية قد يؤدي إلى تفاقم الفوضى وانعدام الأمن في غزة، بدلا من تحقيق الاستقرار. ولفتت صحيفة معاريف إلى أن "الأساس الذي قام عليه المشروع العملياتي للشاباك هو استخدام العصابة كبرنامج تجريبي لفحص ما إذا كان بإمكانها فرض نوع من الحُكم البديل لحماس في منطقة صغيرة ومحددة داخل رفح". ذكرت "معاريف" نقلًا عن مصدر أمني إسرائيلي لم تسمه، أن "الهدف ليس بناء بديل شامل لحماس، وإنما اختبار احتمالية إنشاء كيانات محلية يمكن أن تحل مكان حكم حماس في مناطق جغرافية محددة". وأضاف المصدر الأمني أن "هناك انقسامًا في الآراء داخل المؤسسة الأمنية الإسرائيلية حول هذه الخطوة". وتابع "في الوقت الحالي، هذا تحرك صغير ومحدود للغاية. إنه مشروع تجريبي أولي، ولا أحد يعلم كيف وإلى أين سيتطور". وأقر بأنه "من غير الواضح إلى أي مدى يمكن لأعضاء عصابة أبوشباب أن يكونوا جهة ذات تأثير في المنطقة التي سيعملون فيها". ووفق الصحيفة، في الجيش الإسرائيلي "هناك من لا يتحمس لفكرة تجنيد عصابة إجرامية كحل طويل الأمد وخطوة استراتيجية". ونقلت عن مصدر عسكري إسرائيلي لم تسمه، قوله "ما دام الأمر يتعلق بخطوة تكتيكية محلية تساعدنا في بعض الجوانب، فلا مشكلة لدينا بذلك. لكن هذه العصابات لا يمكن أن تكون بديلا عن خطة استراتيجية بعيدة المدى لحماس" ويُشير الانقسام داخل المؤسسة الأمنية الإسرائيلية إلى عدم وجود إجماع حول فعالية هذه الاستراتيجية، فالاعتراف بأنها "مشروع تجريبي أولي" وأن جدواها "غير واضحة" يعكس عدم اليقين بشأن قدرة هذه الميليشيات على تحقيق الأهداف المرجوة. كما أن الاعتماد على عصابات إجرامية، حتى على نطاق محدود، قد يكون له عواقب وخيمة على المدى الطويل، ويُضعف أي محاولة لبناء حكم مستقر وشرعي في غزة.

Yasser Abu Shabab and his armed group1Ghassan Al Duhine emerges as new leader of Popular Forces following Abu Shabab’s deathNote: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio. Published :   06-12-2025 11:04|Last Updated :  06-12-2025 11:26| Ghassan al-Duhine emerges as the likely successor to lead the “Popular Forces” after the death of Yasser Abu Shabab. Al-Duhine appeared publicly at Abu Shabab’s funeral under armed protection. He vowed open war on Hamas, issuing direct threats in an interview with 'Israel’s' Channel 12. Ghassan al-Duhine has rapidly stepped into the spotlight as the presumed new leader of the “Popular Forces” militia in southern Gaza, following the death of commander Yasser Abu Shabab in fierce internal clashes in Rafah. His emergence comes despite having been injured in the same confrontation, which resulted in his brief hospitalization at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon for what 'Israeli' army radio described as minor wounds. Al-Duhine made his first public appearance since the violence during Abu Shabab’s funeral on Thursday. Video clips shared by accounts affiliated with the militia showed him moving through the streets of Rafah, flanked by heavily armed guards. The footage appeared aimed at signaling his return and reinforcing his position among the fighters. His message became even clearer on Friday when he delivered explicit threats against Hamas in an interview with 'Israel’s' Channel 12. “If the Israeli army withdraws from Gaza, my group will fight Hamas until it is completely eliminated,” he declared, framing his faction as the only force willing to confront the movement directly. Positioning himself as a continuation of Abu Shabab’s legacy, al-Duhine escalated his rhetoric further: “We will continue fighting with the last of our strength until the last terrorist, young and old, is eliminated. Today, Hamas will see its true face, the face the world should have seen long ago.” He concluded by brushing off any suggestion that Hamas remained a serious threat to his group, saying his rivals were “too weak to undermine anyone’s morale in the sector.” Al-Duhine’s statements signal a new and potentially volatile chapter for Gaza’s already fragile internal landscape, with tensions threatening to deepen as he asserts control over the militia’s operations.

Israel admits support for anti-Hamas armed group accused of looting Gaza aid Middle East Israeli officials have acknowledged supporting an armed group opposed to Hamas in Gaza after opposition lawmaker Avigdor Lieberman said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government was arming "criminals and felons". International humanitarian officials have accused the group, led by Bedouin tribesman Yasser Abu Shabab, of looting aid trucks in the war-torn territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israel is supporting an armed group in Gaza that opposes the militant group Hamas, following comments by a former minister that Israel had transferred weapons to it. Israeli and Palestinian media have reported that the group Israel has been working with is part of a local Bedouin tribe led by Yasser Abu Shabab. The European Council on Foreign Relations (EFCR) think tank describes Abu Shabab as the leader of a "criminal gang operating in the Rafah area that is widely accused of looting aid trucks". Knesset member and ex-defence minister Avigdor Lieberman had told the Kan public broadcaster that the government, at Netanyahu's direction, was "giving weapons to a group of criminals and felons". "What did Lieberman leak? ... That on the advice of security officials, we activated clans in Gaza that oppose Hamas. What is bad about that?" Netanyahu said in a video posted to social media on Thursday. "It is only good, it is saving lives of Israeli soldiers." Michael Milshtein, an expert on Palestinian affairs at the Moshe Dayan Center in Tel Aviv, told AFP that the Abu Shabab clan was part of a Bedouin tribe that spans across the border between Gaza and Egypt's Sinai peninsula. Some of the tribe's members, he said, were involved in "all kinds of criminal activities, drug smuggling, and things like that". Army spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin on Friday confirmed the military supported arming local militias in Gaza but remained tight-lipped on the details. "I can say that we are operating in various ways against Hamas governance," Defrin said during a televised press conference when questioned on the subject, without elaborating further. 'Gangster' Milshtein said that Abu Shabab had spent time in prison in Gaza and that his clan chiefs had recently denounced him as an Israeli "collaborator and a gangster". "It seems that actually the Shabak (Israeli security agency) or the (military) thought it was a wonderful idea to turn this militia, gang actually, into a proxy, to give them weapons and money and shelter" from army operations, Milshtein said. He added that Hamas killed four members of the gang days ago. The ECFR said Abu Shabab was "reported to have been previously jailed by Hamas for drug smuggling. His brother is said to have been killed by Hamas during a crackdown against the group's attacks on UN aid convoys." As the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation names a new chief, suspicions swirl over its funding Israel regularly accuses Hamas, with which it has been at war for nearly 20 months, of looting aid convoys in Gaza. Hamas said the group had "chosen betrayal and theft as their path" and called on civilians to oppose them. Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades, said it had evidence of "clear coordination between these looting gangs, collaborators with the occupation (Israel), and the enemy army itself in the looting of aid and the fabrication of humanitarian crises that deepen the suffering of" Palestinians. The Popular Forces, as Abu Shabab's group calls itself, said on Facebook it had "never been, and will never be, a tool of the occupation". "Our weapons are simple, outdated and came through the support of our own people," it added. Milshtein called Israel's decision to arm a group such as Abu Shabab "a fantasy, not something that you can really describe as a strategy". "I really hope it will not end with catastrophe," he said. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Yasser Abu Shabab (ياسر أبو شباب), born in 1990 in Rafah, was a gang leader and head of the Popular Forces, an Israeli-backed armed group and criminal gang operating in the Rafah area that is widely accused of looting aid trucks. Some members of the Popular Forces have ties to the Islamic State group and previously attacked Israel. Abu Shabab was killed in December 2025 while “attempting to resolve a[n internal] dispute”, according a Popular Forces spokesperson. He came from the Bedouin Abu Shabab clan (which is part of the larger Tarabin tribe that stretches into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula) in southern Gaza. In November 2024, Yasser Abu Shabab’s Tarabin tribe publicly disavowed him due to his collaboration with Israel. Abu Shabab is reported to have been previously jailed by Hamas for drug smuggling. His brother is said to have been killed by Hamas during a crackdown against the group’s attacks on UN aid convoys.

The Popular Forces are a Palestinian armed group and criminal gang led by Yasser Abu Shabab, operating in the Rafah area of southern Gaza. The group, which is widely accused of looting UN aid trucks, receives Israeli protection and support, including weapons, to oppose Hamas. Abu Shabab was killed in December 2025 while “attempting to resolve a[n internal] dispute”, according a Popular Forces spokesperson. According to Israeli news reports, the group also receives salaries from the Palestinian Authority via a senior official from the General Intelligence Service, Baha al-Baalosha. The PA has officially denied this. The Popular Forces has several hundred members, drawn primarily from the Abu Shabab clan. Some members of the Popular Forces have ties to the Islamic State group (ISIS) and previously attacked Israel. Yasser Abu Shabab’s deputy, Ghassan al-Dahini, was allegedly a member of Jaysh al-Islam — a Salafi-jihadi group based in Gaza with ties to ISIS. Another deputy, Issam Nabahin, was also a member of Jaysh al-Islam and reportedly fought with ISIS in the Sinai peninsula against the Egyptian military. Upon his return to Gaza, he was recorded firing rockets at Israel, before killing a Gazan policeman in 2023 while resisting arrest. Hamas convicted and sentenced him to death, but he escaped prison after 7 October 2023.

Ghassan al-Dahini (غسان الدهيني) is a senior member of the Popular Forces — a Gazan armed group and criminal gang created by Yasser Abu Shabab with Israeli support. He took over leadership of the group after Abu Shabab was killed in December 2025. Before joining the Popular Forces, al-Dahini was allegedly a member of Jaysh al-Islam — a Salafi-jihadi group based in Gaza with ties to the Islamic State group. Al-Dahini is from the same Tarabin tribe as Abu Shabab.

Peace be upon you, my brother. You have been relieved of the burdens of this fleeting world and taken to the expanse of the eternal. You roam freely in the paradise of your Lord, wherever you please. You consult with your companions who follow you, and they will come in droves—after the flood—hastening to meet you. They shroud their dreams in the garment of eternity, bearing witness to the earth behind them that the way of the beloved of heaven is one of zeal, not inaction. Be at peace, my brother, and grant them peace… And we will meet in Paradise, my brother… - The beloved martyr - Magdi Al-Kalzani, Abu Naseem - May God accept him Peace be upon you, my brother. You have been relieved of the burden of death and granted the ease of rest. You wander in the Paradise of your Lord wherever you wish. You consult with your companions after you as they catch up with the forces – after the flood – they anticipate the meeting. They shroud dreams in the garments of eternity. The earth behind them testifies that the lovers of Heaven condemn a terror that cannot be settled. Be at peace, my brother, and grant them peace… May we meet in Paradise, my brother… - The beloved martyr - Magdi Al-Kalzani, Abu Naseem - May God accept him · Hide Original · Rate this translation

سلامُ اللّهُ عليك أُخيّا وقد تخفَفتَ من أثقال الفانِيةِ إلى براح الباقية ، تطوفُ من فردوس ربَك حيثُ تشاء ، تستيشِرُ بالصّحاب من بعدك وهم يلحقون أفواجًا -بعد الطوفان-يستبقُونَ اللّقاءِ، يُكفّنونَ الأحلام بثوب الخلود ، يُشهدونَ الأرض مِن خلفهم أنّ ديدن أحباب السماءِ فزعة لا قعود. طِب نفسًا وقَتِّ عيناً وإيّاهُم… والملتقى الجنة يا أخي .. - الشهيد الحبيب - مجدي الكلزاني ، ابا نسيم - تقبلهُ اللهَ Peace be upon you my brother You have relieved from the weight of mortality to the ease of the rest, you wander from the paradise of your Lord wherever you wish, you consult with the companions after you as they catch up with forces - after the flood - they anticipate the meeting, they shroud dreams in the garments of eternity, the earth behind them testify that the lovers of heaven condemn a terror that cannot be settled. Heal yourself and an eye and them... May you meet in heaven my brother.. - The beloved martyr - Magdi Al-Kalzani, Aba Naseem - May God accept him · Hide Original · Rate this translation

The Israeli military is arming gangs to combat Hamas in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Thursday. The revelation comes to light after right-wing Israeli lawmaker Avigdor Lieberman accused Netanyahu on Israeli public broadcaster Kan yesterday of arming a gang of hundreds of men in Rafah as a counterweight to Hamas influence in the Strip. The Prime Minister’s office responded by saying that it was combating the Palestinian resistance group “in various ways, on the recommendation of all heads of the security establishment.” Later, Netanyahu officially confirmed the reports in a video posted on X. “On the advice of security officials, we activated clans in Gaza that oppose Hamas,” the Israeli Prime Minister said. “What’s wrong with that? It only saves the lives of Israeli soldiers.” “Publishing this only benefits Hamas, but Lieberman doesn’t care,” Netanyahu added. Among these groups is an armed gang led by a man named Yasser Abu Shabab, a thief and drug trafficker from Rafah who led groups of hundreds of armed men in looting aid convoys during the latter half of 2024. Descended from the influential Bedouin Tarabin clan, which spans southern Gaza, the Sinai, and the Naqab Desert, Abu Shabab has been described by Israeli media outlets as “linked to ISIS,” likely due to Abu Shabab’s involvement in drug trafficking networks between Gaza and the Sinai in which ISIS has been implicated. Now, Israel openly admits to backing and arming Abu Shabab’s group, which in effect is an open admission that it has been backing the looting of food aid meant for Gaza’s starving population. This policy comes in the wake of a systematic Israeli campaign of assassinating the Hamas government’s civil servants to cause social collapse in Gaza and foment chaos and lawlessness in the Strip. The Israeli army has been deliberately targeting Interior Ministry bureaucrats, the police force, and the security services to create a vacuum that is then filled by armed looters like Abu Shabab’s group, as recently reported by Mondoweiss. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich directly admitted to this policy last month, boasting that “we’re eliminating ministers, bureaucrats, money handlers — everyone who holds up Hamas’ civilian rule.” Hamas has been attempting to combat this Israeli policy since late 2024, when the Interior Ministry in Gaza first formed a special unit of plainclothed police officers and volunteers who were tasked with hunting down looters and attempting to restore order to Gaza’s streets. The Hamas unit, which calls itself “the Arrow Unit” or “the Arrow Force,” was reactivated during the resumption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas after the collapse of the ceasefire in mid-March. Mondoweiss spoke to several members of the Arrow Unit, in addition to a high-level security source in the resistance, who detailed Hamas’s continuing efforts to combat Israel’s armed proxy groups in the Strip. Mondoweiss also spoke to the heads of several clans in Gaza regarding Israel’s attempts to exploit the security vacuum it created by backing clan leaders as an alternative to Hamas rule. How the Arrow Unit hunts down thieves and collaborators The Arrow Unit was first formed over a year ago in March 2024, when the phenomenon of looting by armed gangs began to spread throughout Gaza. The unit began as informal groups of young men dressed in black with their faces covered, deploying at chaotic public venues like bakery lines, ATMs, and markets. News reports at the time described them arresting suspected thieves and beating them severely in marketplaces, publicly proclaiming that this was the punishment for looters. Over the months, the Arrow Force started to show up in their dozens on the streets of Gaza, organizing people into queues in public venues. They seemed to be following a leader who was apparently a police officer. According to members of the Arrow Unit, lawlessness had become endemic in Gaza after the police were forced underground following Israel’s targeting of its officers who had been tasked with guarding aid convoys. This led to a rapid deterioration of security in Gaza amid soaring prices at markets and the spread of inter-family feuds and “the law of the jungle,” Arrow members said. Palestinian police take measures set up a checkpoint on al-Rashid Street during the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, January 26. (Photo: Omar Ashtawy/APA Images) Abu Hadi, a member of the Arrow Unit who is also an officer in the Gaza police force, told Mondoweiss that he decided to join the unit after “witnessing thieves robbing food stores and international kitchens, without concern for the people’s hunger.” “This aid goes to my family, my neighbors, my relatives. It should not go to one person who steals and resells it on the black market,” Abu Hadi said. “We in the Arrow Force will stop these people.” Abu Islam, another Arrow member, says the force is comprised of police officers, members of political factions, members of prominent Gaza families, and occasionally, members of Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades. After this new force began operating within the Strip, it was officially announced that the Arrow Unit was an organ of the Ministry of Interior. Abu Muhammad, an official at the Ministry, told Mondoweiss via recorded testimony that the Arrow Unit is authorized to “maintain security within the Gaza Strip, especially during wartime.” When asked about how the Arrow Unit operates, Abu Muhammad said that it obtains intelligence from the police about suspected thieves and collaborators, and is then dispatched to apprehend them clandestinely. “The war has taken its toll on the Ministry of Interior, but we make every effort to communicate with police officers and have them track looters down and provide names and evidence,” Abu Muhammad said. “Then teams like the Arrow Unit can apprehend the perpetrators of the crime and reach them secretly, because the occupation is pursuing all police officers, and this restricts the work of the Ministry of Interior.” Abu Muhammad explains that “if there are proven charges against some thieves and outlaws, they must be punished directly, even by death, to set an example for others and prevent chaos from becoming the norm in Gaza,” clarifying that not every looter caught in Gaza is a collaborator with Israel, but that “their theft is facilitated by the Israeli army.” “This may become a pathway to following Israeli army directions, which can later develop into open collaboration,” Abu Muhammad explained. “And the occupation can make thieves into collaborators, for instance, by not bombing the places they steal from, and even directing them by phone where to go.” Abu Islam, an Arrow member in Gaza City responsible for investigating and apprehending thieves, explains how looters and collaborators are punished. “Some are punished by beating, some by killing, and some by imprisonment,” he says. According to Abu Islam, “agents proven to have killed or participated in killings are executed,” clarifying that the goal of such harsh punishment is to deter people “from thinking about communicating with the occupation.” Abu Islam also says he has obtained several confessions from looters who said that they were directed to food warehouses by Israeli officers. “They even give us their names and assignments,” he said. “This is clear evidence that they were infiltrators and agents, receiving direct orders from the Israeli enemy at a specifically assigned time and place.” A high-level security source in the resistance told Mondoweiss in a written statement that “investigations reveal the Shabak [Israel’s internal intelligence service, or the Shin Bet] is directing some agents to engage in looting and trespassing as a cover for carrying out security operations.” The source goes on to quote the written confession of an alleged collaborator who was told by an Israeli officer to “enter the home of one of the leaders of the resistance through a hole in the wall created by a drone.” The security source added that one thief was blackmailed by the Shin Bet into spying for them when he used an app operated by the army to secure permission to enter a combat zone. “The Shabak used his criminal record [as blackmail] to recruit him for its purposes,” the source asserted. The attempts of Arrow members to intervene in these looting operations have led Israeli forces to directly target them in the field, killing “dozens” of personnel, Abu Islam says. On one occasion in late May, he continues, Arrow members went to a food warehouse in Gaza City where thieves were trying to steal aid, but were bombed by an Israeli drone. “When the Arrow Forces arrived, the thieves withdrew, and the Force was targeted,” he explains. “Then, another unit was dispatched to the site to support the Force, but it was bombed by the occupation as well.” Palestinian police take measures set up a checkpoint on al-Rashid Street during the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, January 26. (Photo: Omar Ashtawy/APA Images) The Arrow Unit vs. Yasser Abu Shabab On November 19, 2024, the Arrow Unit conducted its first major operation during the war, attacking a group of looters that had been pillaging aid trucks for several months, mostly in Rafah. The Arrow forces announced that they had killed about 20 members of the gang. The leader of the group was Yasser Abu Shabab. Abu Hadi says that Hamas first suspected Abu Shabab of collaborating with Israel when he was documented reaching inaccessible areas in Rafah that are under exclusive Israeli military control. “Anyone who reached these zones was killed,” Abu Hadi explains. “This led the Arrow Force to suspect that he had received orders from the Israeli military to prevent the entry of aid to the population.” As the looting of aid convoys continued throughout late 2024, Abu Shabab’s role became increasingly clear. At the time, an internal UN memo shared with international media outlets had directly named Abu Shabab as “the main and most influential stakeholder behind systematic and massive looting” of aid convoys last year, and that Abu Shabab was likely “benefiting from a passive if not active benevolence,” or “protection,” by the Israeli army. Abu Hadi says that Hamas had decided to neutralize him shortly after. “The Arrow Unit continued to monitor Yasser Abu Shabab’s movements,” he says. On November 19, Abu Hadi says, “after we confirmed that he was leaving in his well-known car, he was targeted with two RPGs. However, his brother was in the car, not him.” Yasser Abu Shabab. (Photo: Social Media) Abu Shabab’s brother, Fathi, was killed in the ambush, which Abu Hadi confirmed had killed over 20 gang members. “After that, he began burning aid trucks and shooting at drivers instead of pillaging them,” Abu Hadi says. “As revenge.” The Arrow Force had nevertheless sent Abu Shabab a strong message. “He stopped stealing aid for fear of being killed,” Abu Hadi says. Shadi al-Sufi, a former criminal convicted of murder and detained before the war, was another alleged gang leader accused of forming a looting group located near the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing. Abu Hadi says that al-Soufi could not have remained in the Karam Abu Salem area without Israeli facilitation. “No one dared reach the location where Shadi al-Sufi and his group were located,” he said. “This is conclusive evidence that he operated under the protection of the Israeli army.” “The Arrow Force attacked al-Sufi’s groups and attempted to reach him, but the circumstances were not conducive to us,” Abu Hadi added. “Drones were targeting our members and protecting the thieves and criminals.” Al-Sufi later appeared in a video on social media denying the allegations against him. He said that he had been displaced like everyone else since the beginning of the Rafah invasion, and like all residents, he did not have any flour in his home. He explained that all the rumors circulating about him stealing aid were completely false. At that point in the war, the Hamas strategy was working. Al-Sufi receded into obscurity, and Abu Shabab also disappeared during the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. During the ceasefire period, the police and security forces were able to restore order and reassert civil control over Gaza, but the return to war on March 18 was accompanied by the explicitly stated goal of targeting the Hamas civil leadership, pushing all governmental agencies back into hiding. Almost overnight, looting and theft of food warehouses returned to Gaza, leading the Arrow Unit to redouble its efforts. Yasser Abu Shabab reemerged by May, appearing in photos alongside armed men dressed in full military gear in Rafah, which has been completely emptied of inhabitants and is considered part of a “red zone” under the full control of the Israeli army. His men have been shown sporting Palestinian flags and wearing armbands with “Anti-Terror Force” written on them. On May 30, the Qassam Brigades released an unusual video of its resistance fighters targeting a group of plainclothed men it said were “musta’ribin” — the Palestinian term for undercover Israeli special forces disguised as Palestinians — but a security source from the resistance in Gaza told Al Jazeera that the targets were a group of collaborators who had been tasked by the Israeli army to loot aid convoys and spy on the activities of the resistance. The source also said that the collaborators were members of Abu Shabab’s group, directly accusing Abu Shabab of working under orders of the Israelis to deepen the state of chaos in Gaza. Yasser Abu Shabab’s men have been shown sporting Palestinian flags and wearing armbands with “Anti-Terror Force” written on them. (Photo: Social Media) The video came at a time when reports continued to surface last month of aid convoys being looted in southern Gaza by armed men. Abu Shabab openly denies these allegations. He has given himself a public makeover on social media, casting himself as an upstanding community figure and “nationalist leader” on his personal Facebook page. He now portrays himself as safeguarding the passage of aid through Rafah. Facilitating Israel’s displacement plan Following yesterday’s admission from Netanyahu that Israel was arming his group, the official page of Yasser Abu Shabab’s “Popular Forces” media office issued a statement on X, continuing to deny any connection with the Israeli army. “We wholly reject these allegations,” the statement read. “We regard this as a blatant attempt at distorting the image of a popular force that was born out of suffering and in the face of oppression, theft, and corruption.” “We have not and will never be a tool of the occupation. If the occupation has proof, it should show it to our people and to the international media. We invite everyone to visit our areas and to investigate for themselves before spreading lies that serve the occupation’s narrative in sowing division,” the statement added. “The resistance has photographs showing Abu Shabab with the Israeli army.”High-level security source in the resistance The same high-level security source in the resistance that spoke to Mondoweiss also said that Abu Shabab, according to their intelligence, has connections with “Arab intelligence agencies, which have paved the way for him to act in accordance with the Shabak’s instructions. Especially during the period in which the city of Rafah was occupied, when we saw the increase in the looting of aid trucks.” “The resistance has photographs showing Abu Shabab with the Israeli army. But the current circumstances do not permit us to publish them due to security considerations,” the source added. Yasser Abu Shabab (right) with his men in Rafah. (Photo: Social Media) Analysts have continued to point out that Abu Shabab’s carefully curated social media presence, with the appearance of statements in both English and Arabic, is beyond the capabilities of the Gaza gang and is likely the work of the Shin Bet. “Multiple mainstream media journalists I spoke to believe the level of fluent English used in those posts could only come from an IDF operation room,” Muhammad Shehada, a writer and political analyst, wrote on X days before yesterday’s statement from Netanyahu. Shehada says that today, Abu Shabab works in his new capacity as the head of his rebranded “national force” of gang members to loot aid under the Israeli military’s protection, carry out surveillance of resistance forces on its behalf, and secure aid going to the U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), which is the U.S. contractor tasked with delivering aid to Palestinians instead of the UN. The GHF’s distribution centers have been the site of several aid massacres by Israeli forces over the last two weeks, with international aid groups accusing the Foundation’s aid plan of being part of a “blueprint for ethnic cleansing.” Now, Abu Shabab’s group is being recruited in the service of this blueprint. According to Shehada, another one of the tasks Abu Shabab seems to have been entrusted with by the Israeli army is to establish “concentration camps” in Gaza and form a “puppet ‘security force’ that the IDF puts in charge of areas they had depopulated to be their proxy militia against Hamas.” In an apparent confirmation of this goal, Abu Shabab’s Facebook page released a video, apparently narrated in his voice, calling on the residents of the eastern part of Rafah to return to their homes. “Medicine, food, shelter, and security have been provided,” Abu Shabab said. “Our Popular Forces are working under total Palestinian legitimacy, and in coordination with the official channels.” The rest of the video contains a montage of Abu Shabab’s men handing out aid to people in eastern Rafah, and is followed by a narrator describing how the Popular Forces are confronting Hamas — referred to as “the government of the status quo” — while sheltering hundreds of families in eastern Gaza in tents, who they have provided with free aid. It would appear that the calls by the “Popular Forces” for civilians to move to these areas of Rafah, coupled with Abu Shabab’s coordination with the GHF, is proceeding in line with Netanyahu’s plan to use aid as bait to lure Palestinians into isolated concentration camps, with the objective of then forcibly displacing them from Gaza via so-called “voluntary migration.” Moreover, it seems that Israel has now recruited a native proxy militia to implement this plan. Banner of Yasser Abu Shabab “Popular Forces” page on X. (Photo: Yasser Abu Shabab-Popular Forces X Page) Clash of the clans In spite of Abu Shabab’s efforts to paint himself as a nationalist leader, on May 31, the Abu Shabab family in Gaza issued a statement announcing that it was disowning “our son Yasser” a day after the Qassam video was released, distancing themselves from any association with him. “We, like the rest of the public, were shocked when the resistance broadcast footage showing Yasser’s group engaged in dangerous security work, even participating as undercover agents,” the statement read. “We will pursue and hold him accountable by all means necessary and will not allow him to stain our family’s reputation. He misled us for too long.” But now that Netanyahu has publicly admitted to “activating” clans in Gaza to oppose Hamas, the Palestinian resistance in the Strip is expected to fight another “internal” front against outright collaboration. In previous months, rampant looting as a result of Israel’s targeting of Gaza security forces has led several families in Gaza to call for the clans to form “popular committees” for self-defense against thieves, including statements from the Madhoun and al-Ghoul clans in early May. Some of those calls openly advocated for the families to be armed. At around the same time, armed men belonging to the al-Ghoul family appeared in the area of the Qatari-funded Hamad Rehabilitation Hospital in Gaza City, claiming to be volunteers to protect the hospital from looting. But the group soon dissipated, and the al-Ghoul clan has publicly affirmed its commitment to the rule of law since. “We formed an armed group to protect the Qatari Hospital because thieves were about to loot it, and we secured it,” Yousri al-Ghoul, one of the family representatives, told Mondoweiss in mid-May. “After that, a security unit was formed by the government to protect the public properties, so we took a step back.” “All we want is security in Gaza,” al-Ghoul added. Husni al-Mughni, the head of the Higher Committee for Tribal Affairs in the Gaza Strip, told Mondoweiss in May that “no armed family committee has been formed,” adding that the clans in Gaza “reject the arming of clans, which must prioritize social peace.” “We are now fighting over water, food, and tents. If families arm themselves, all our battles will become internal,” al-Mughni added. Yasin al-Madhoun, another clan leader, admits that some members of his family may have discussed forming an armed group, but that the family has not officially taken such a step. “The family has not decided to form armed units, but we want to maintain security within the Gaza Strip,” al-Madhoun qualified. “In the event that the government collapses or there is a lack of security and safety within the Strip, we must demand a force to maintain security and replace the government to fill the security vacuum. This is no exception in the Gaza Strip. Wherever the government falls, popular committees are formed to protect society.” At the time, members of the Arrow Unit told Mondoweiss that they would prevent these families from arming themselves, as they would then be co-opted by Israel in service of its genocidal goals. “We will confront the families who arm themselves, and this is not a matter left to the Arrow unit, but rather to all families in the Gaza Strip,” Abu Islam, one of the Arrow members who spoke to Mondoweiss, said. “All families must stand side by side with the Arrow Unit and all police units to curb the spread of chaos.” Abu Islam added that many families have rejected these calls. “The attempt to arm families and transform the law into tribal rule has failed, because the families shouldered their responsibilities and rejected this offer from the occupation,” he said. Nearly a month later, Abu Shabab’s armed gang has now taken on a new name — “the Popular Forces” — and is aiming to fill the security vacuum Israel created by dismantling Gaza’s civil institutions. Among their responsibilities are the distribution of aid to locals as a means of gaining popular support and securing aid to the GHF sites. “It is no secret that the occupation has hunted down every part of the security forces, since they represent the backstop to maintaining the internal front, which is in direct contradiction to the [Israeli army’s] war aims,” the security source in the resistance who spoke to Mondoweiss said. “Its aim is to create chaos in Gaza as revenge against civilians, because they embrace the resistance,” the source added.

Hamas' Brutality Hamas’ brutality extends beyond its attacks on Israel. Through units like the Arrow Unit, it rules Gaza with fear, violently silencing and punishing any Palestinian who dares to oppose its control. The Arrow Unit, with an estimated 1,000 members within Hamas’ internal security apparatus, does not engage external enemies but instead targets anyone who dares to challenge Hamas' authority. Its primary function is not to defend territorial borders but to maintain the regime’s grip on power by silencing opposition from within. The unit’s mission is unequivocal: identify opposition and suppress it by any means necessary. The Arrow Unit’s activities are marked by brutality, with videos depicting masked operatives arresting, assaulting, and even executing Palestinians on the streets of Gaza. These public acts of violence are intended to instill widespread fear among the population, serving as stark warnings against anyone who speaks out. The October 7 Massacre revealed Hamas’ capacity for orchestrating mass violence against Israelis; however, the same mechanisms of control, discipline, and violence are systematically turned inward to suppress Palestinians who oppose the regime. The Arrow Unit is not a conventional security force but a tool of internal repression, a weapon of terror wielded to maintain Hamas’ dominance at the devastating expense of its own people. The Arrow Unit, with an estimated 1,000 members within Hamas’ internal security apparatus, does not engage external enemies but instead targets anyone who dares to challenge Hamas' authority. Its primary function is not to defend territorial borders but to maintain the regime’s grip on power by silencing opposition from within.

Former defense minister Avigdor Liberman says Israel is arming a criminal gang of Gazan jihadists, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of unilaterally approving weapons transfers to the group. Liberman, who heads the opposition Yisrael Beytenu party, appears to be referring to the Abu Shabab clan, an armed gang opposed to Hamas which has been documented in recent days operating in an area near the Kerem Shalom crossing under Israeli military control. “The Israeli government is giving weapons to a group of criminals and felons, identified with Islamic State, at the direction of the prime minister,” Liberman tells the Kan public broadcaster. “To my knowledge this did not go through approval by the cabinet.” Armed members of the Abu Shabab clan in uniform in the Rafah area, May 2025. (Screenshot: Twitter, clause 27a) Liberman claims that the head of the Shin Bet is aware “but I don’t know how much the IDF chief of staff was in on it.” According to Tel Aviv University researcher Michael Milshtein, Abu Shabab is known in Gaza as drug dealers and thieves, and was previously involved in looting aid trucks. In recent days, footage published online, including by clan leader Yasser Abu Shabab, has shown member of the gang wearing military-style uniforms with the Palestinian flag and the words “Counter-Terrorism Mechanism” emblazoned on them. The Prime Minister’s Office releases a statement in response to Liberman but does not deny the allegations. “Israel is working to defeat Hamas through various means, based on the recommendations of all the heads of the security establishment,” it says.

Exposing Here NewsIsrael Transferred Weapons to Militias Operating Against Hamas in Gaza With Netanyahu's Approval and Shin Bet Promotion: This is How the Clan in Gaza Was Armed Netanyahu Approved Arming Palestinians in the Strip with Kalashnikov Rifles as a Counter-Hamas Force, Without the Cabinet's Knowledge • The Prime Minister Confirmed the Statement: "We Activated Clans That Oppose Hamas. What's Wrong? This is good" • Lieberman on Here Network: "Groups affiliated with ISIS" • Families Headquarters: "The security establishment fears that the militias will abduct hostages again" Israel has armed Palestinian elements in the Gaza Strip who oppose the Hamas government with Kalashnikov rifles, so that they can defend themselves against the terrorist organization. This is what we revealed today (Thursday) on Here News. The move was carried out with the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, without the knowledge of the cabinet. Prime Minister Netanyahu released a video this evening in which he confirmed the details of the exposure and said: "On the advice of security elements, we activated clans in Gaza that oppose Hamas. What is bad? It is good." Here News learned that this was an idea promoted by the Shin Bet, and in which the IDF was a partner. The arming operation was discussed in a personal meeting that Netanyahu held with the outgoing Shin Bet head Ronen Bar. The secret partners in the event were the prime minister, the defense minister, the Shin Bet head, and the chief of staff. The issue came up for discussion in one of the Knesset's confidential committees, where representatives of the security establishment and the head of the research division were asked to provide information about the incident. Yisrael Beiteinu chairman and former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman revealed the matter earlier today in an interview with Roni Koban and Suleiman Masvad on Channel B. Listen to the full interview with Avigdor Lieberman on Channel B "The Israeli government is transferring weapons to a group of criminals and offenders who identify with ISIS, on the orders of the prime minister," Lieberman said in the interview. According to him, "the move did not pass cabinet approval. This was with the knowledge of the head of the Shin Bet, but I do not know how much the chief of staff was privy to the matter." Prime Minister Netanyahu did not deny the matter. A statement issued by his office regarding Lieberman's remarks read: "Israel is working to defeat Hamas in various and varied ways, on the recommendation of all the heads of the security establishment." The Shin Bet refused to comment on the allegations. The families of the abductees came out against the move, expressing grave concern for the fate of their loved ones: "In a week when senior security officials fear that the abductees may be abducted again in Gaza by local militias, it is being announced that the Israeli government is arming militias in Gaza." "We fear that the continuation of the war and the sinking into the Gazan mud will continue and exact heavy prices from them and from the entire Israeli people - national, security and social," the families continued. "This is the time for courageous decisions - to return everyone in one fell swoop and end the war. This is the will of the people. Without the return of the kidnapped, there will be no Israeli victory, and we will not be able to recover. We will return. We will take revenge. The armed force in Gaza claims: We liberated an area in the Gaza Strip from Hamas control Earlier this week, an armed force in Gaza claimed that it "controls an area in the Gaza Strip that was liberated from Hamas." Yasser Abu Shabab, who was recently reported to be heading an armed militia challenging Hamas in the southern Gaza Strip, said in a recorded message on his behalf that he was operating "under the legitimate Palestinian government," meaning the Palestinian Authority, and that he was "operating under its instructions and in full coordination with it." An investigation published by the Lebanese newspaper "Al-Akhbar" on Tuesday claimed that the prestige of Abu Shabab and other armed groups has risen since the IDF entered Rafah in May 2025. Hamas sources told the newspaper that The militia led by Abu Shabab has about 300 operatives, most of whom, according to certain sources, were recruited through Palestinian Authority intelligence, including operatives of the "Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades." Their recruitment was made possible as part of a previous agreement with the Authority in 2005, in which those operatives were added to its security mechanisms, and operated in the Gaza Strip before the Hamas coup. Claims to work under the Palestinian Authority. Yasser Abu Shabab An investigation revealed that Hamas' interrogations of members of that militia revealed that they used to receive "a basic salary of 3,000 shekels per month, with supplements." They also claim that some of them were involved in murders, robberies, and theft during the war, and some of them belong to an extremist Salafi faction that used to cause trouble for the Hamas government in the past. It is also alleged that the militia received sums of money to purchase weapons from the local market, managed to accumulate quantities of weapons, and established a base near the Sufa outpost, only 300 meters from the border of the demilitarized zone established by the IDF. It is alleged that the group receives orders from General Bahaa Alushah, who belongs to the PA intelligence. According to the investigation, Hamas claimed that the terrorist organization's military wing had begun operating in the field to carry out assassinations of Abu Shabaab's men, and that the organization "is expected to soon carry out executions of a number of those involved in the robbery, as part of the blow being inflicted on those groups." More on the subject

חשיפת כאן חדשותישראל העבירה נשק למיליציות שפועלות נגד חמאס בעזה באישור נתניהו ובקידום שב"כ: כך חומשה החמולה בעזה נתניהו אישר לחמש גורמים פלסטינים ברצועה ברובי קלצ'ניקוב ככוח נגד לחמאס, ללא ידיעת הקבינט • ראש הממשלה אישר את הדברים: "הפעלנו חמולות שמתנגדות לחמאס. מה זה רע? זה טוב" • ליברמן בכאן רשת ב: "קבוצות שמזוהות עם דאעש" • מטה המשפחות: "במערכת הביטחון חוששים שהמיליציות יחטפו בשנית חטופים" ישראל חימשה ברובי קלאצ'ניקוב גורמים פלסטינים ברצועת עזה המתנגדים לשלטון חמאס, כדי שיוכלו להגן על עצמם מפני ארגון הטרור. כך חשפנו היום (חמישי) בכאן חדשות. המהלך יצא לפועל באישור ראש הממשלה בנימין נתניהו, ללא ידיעת הקבינט. ראש הממשלה נתניהו פרסם הערב סרטון בו אישר את פרטי החשיפה ואמר: "בעצת גורמי הביטחון אנחנו הפעלנו חמולות בעזה שמתנגדות לחמאס. מה זה רע? זה טוב". לכאן חדשות נודע כי מדובר ברעיון שקידם שב"כ, ושלו היה שותף צה"ל. מבצע החימוש נידון בפגישה אישים שקיים נתניהו עם ראש שב"כ היוצא רונן בר. שותפי הסוד של האירוע היו ראש הממשלה, שר הביטחון, ראש שב"כ והרמטכ"ל. הנושא הגיע לדיון באחת הוועדות החסויות של הכנסת, שבה התבקשו נציגי מערכת הביטחון וראש חטיבת המחקר למסור מידע על האירוע. יו"ר ישראל ביתנו ושר הביטחון לשעבר אביגדור ליברמן חשף את הדברים מוקדם יותר היום בריאיון לרוני קובן וסולימאן מסוודה בכאן רשת ב. האזינו לריאיון המלא עם אביגדור ליברמן בכאן רשת ב "ממשלת ישראל מעבירה נשק לקבוצת פושעים ועבריינים, שמזדהים עם דאעש, בהוראת ראש הממשלה", אמר ליברמן בריאיון. לדבריו, "המהלך לא עבר אישור קבינט. זה היה תוך כדי ידיעה של ראש שב"כ, אך לא יודע כמה הרמטכ"ל היה בסוד העניינים". ראש הממשלה נתניהו לא הכחיש את הדברים. בהודעה שיצאה מטעם משרדו בהתייחס לדבריו של ליברמן נכתב: "ישראל פועלת להכרעת חמאס בדרכים שונות ומגוונות בהמלצת כל ראשי מערכת הביטחון". בשב"כ סירבו להתייחס לטענות. משפחות החטופים יצאו נגד הצעד, והביעו חשש כבד לגורל יקיריהן: "בשבוע בו בכירי מערכת הביטחון חוששים מכך שהחטופים והחטופות עלולים להיחטף בשנית בעזה על-ידי מיליציות מקומיות, מתפרסם כי ממשלת ישראל מחמשת מיליציות בעזה". "אנו חוששות כי המשך המלחמה והשקיעה בבוץ העזתי ימשיכו ויגבו מהם ומכל עם ישראל מחירים כבדים - לאומיים, ביטחוניים וחברתיים", המשיכו המשפחות. "זו העת להחלטות אמיצות - להחזיר את כולם בפעימה אחת ולסיים את המלחמה. זה רצון העם. בלי החזרת החטופים לא יהיה ניצחון ישראלי, ולא נוכל להשתקם. נחזיר. נקום. הכוח החמוש בעזה שטוען: שחררנו אזור ברצועה משליטת חמאס מוקדם יותר השבוע טען כוח חמוש בעזה כי הוא "שולט באזור ברצועה ששוחרר מחמאס". יאסר אבו שבאב, שלאחרונה דווח כי עומד בראש מיליציה חמושה המאתגרת את חמאס בדרום הרצועה, אמר בהודעה מוקלטת מטעמו כי הוא פועל "תחת השלטון הלגיטימי הפלסטיני", כשכוונתו היא לרשות הפלסטינית, ושהוא "פועל בהנחיותיה ובתיאום מלא איתה". בתחקיר שפרסם העיתון הלבנוני "אל-אח'באר" ביום שלישי נטען כי קרנו של אבו שבאב וקבוצות חמושים נוספות עלתה מאז כניסת צה"ל לרפיח במאי 2025. גורמים בחמאס מסרו לעיתון כי במיליציה שמוביל אבו שבאב ישנם כ-300 פעילים, שלטענת גורמים מסוימים רובם גויסו באמצעות המודיעין של הרשות הפלסטינית, בהם פעילי "גדודי חללי אל-אקצא". גיוסם התאפשר במסגרת הסדר עבר עם הרשות ב-2005, שבו צורפו אותם פעילים למנגנוני הביטחון שלה, ופעלו ברצועת עזה לפני ההפיכה של חמאס. טוען שעובד תחת הרשות הפלסטינית. יאסר אבו שבאב בתחקיר עלה כי מחקירות שחמאס ערך לאנשי אותה מיליציה עלה כי הם נהגו לקבל "משכורת בסיסית של 3,000 שקלים בכל חודש, עם תוספות". הם אף טוענים כי חלקם אף מעורבים במעשי רצח, שוד וגניבה במהלך המלחמה, ויש מתוכם ששייכים לפלג סלפי קיצוני שבעבר נהג לגרום צרות לשלטון חמאס. עוד נטען כי אותה מיליציה קיבלה סכומי כסף כדי לרכוש נשק מהשוק המקומי, הצליחה לצבור כמויות נשק, והקימה בסיס סמוך למוצב סופה, כ-300 מטרים בלבד מגבול האזור המפורז שהקים צה"ל. נטען כי אותה קבוצה מקבלת הוראות מהגנרל בהאא בעלושה, השייך למודיעין של הרש"פ. בחמאס טענו, על פי התחקיר, כי הזרוע הצבאית של ארגון הטרור החלה לפעול בשטח כדי לבצע חיסולים של אנשיו של אבו שבאב, ונמסר כי הארגון "צפוי לערוך בקרוב הוצאות להורג למספר מעורבים בשוד, כחלק מהמכה שמוטלת על אותן חבורות". עוד בנושא