Yasser Abu Shabab is the leader of one of the largest clans in Gaza, and is fighting against Hamas. More on him can be found here: “‘No stopping a civil war against Hamas,’ Gaza militia chief Abu Shabab tells KAN,” Jerusalem Post, July 7, 2025:
Yasser Abu Shabab, leader of the allegedly Israel-backed, anti-Hamas Popular Forces group, revealed to Israeli public broadcaster KAN on Sunday that his militia is actively working against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, particularly operating in the Rafah area.
“There is no stopping a civil war against Hamas,” Abu Shabab said in the interview.
He told KAN that those who comprise his militia do not belong to any political or organizational ideology. However, Abu Shabab told Army Radio in an interview last month that he denied working with Israel and confirmed his group’s relationship with the Palestinian Authority. In that interview, he said that he wouldn’t rule out cooperating with the IDF on issues such as humanitarian aid distribution in the future….
Abu Shabab may deny working with Israel, but he is believed to have accepted weapons from the IDF; for obvious reasons, he keeps quiet about that. And he knows that his forces, and the IDF, share a common goal: to fight against and destroy Hamas. He has also said that he could see his group cooperating with the IDF on the distribution of humanitarian aid and similar issues, no doubt including the rebuilding of hospitals and schools. He claims to be open to people of all ideologies — except for Hamas, which is the Gazan branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. He also said that he has a relationship to the Palestinian Authority, which is Hamas’ bitter enemy, but offered no details.
He’s blaming Hamas, not Israel, for the Gaza War, and the misery that the war that Hamas started on October 7, 2023 has brought to so many people in Gaza. The “aggression” he deplores is that of Hamas, not the IDF. It’s a remarkable statement from a Palestinian leader in Gaza.
Abu Shabab is known to be receiving military assistance from Israel. Financial assistance — to pay his men — may come from the Arab enemies of Hamas, including the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, whose leaders would not want a Gazan enclave ruled by an affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization that is a direct threat to the Arab monarchies of the Gulf. Logistical support, however, could only come from the IDF, that has mapped out every part of Gaza and knows the positions, the weapons, the command-and-control centers, of all the forces belonging to Hamas.
Abu Shabab claimed that after Hamas leaves power, the Popular Forces will rule the enclave afterwards. “Hamas knows and understands this; the Popular Forces will be the heirs in Gaza after they are crushed and defeated,” KAN quoted him….
The Popular Forces is the name being given to the collective of local clans opposed to Hamas, of which the Abu Shabab’s clan is one part, albeit one of the most powerful.
Keenly aware of Hamas’ weakness, and of his own clan’s power — it has many hundreds of fighters, with more recruits, including non-family members, streaming in to join the group in its war with Hamas, and has been well provided with arms by the IDF — Abu Shabab is simply going to let the ultimatum pass. He knows Hamas is no longer capable of imposing its will on the powerful families like his own.
Hamas won’t dare to attack him when the ten-day ultimatum ends. It knows that if it is bloodied by Abu Shabab and his men, the humiliation will be so great as to efface completely whatever little authority it had left. Hamas doesn’t want to risk it. But in failing to enforce its own ultimatum, it will also be humiliated. In Gaza, what’s to come is still unsure, but one thing is certain: Hamas will be out of the picture, militarily and politically, and very likely, physically as well.
Cynthia says
I am not sure if they’re any better. Most clans are also Islamist thugs trained in UNWRA hate factories.
However, they could be an interim step to disarming Hamas,
carpediadem says
Agree. Most of those people still hate Jews and want them gone. However, pragmatism may win in this case.
Palestinians are free to hate Jews. They are not free to exterminate them or try to do so.
If the Palis can take that on board, a type of peace may be possible.
Doubtful but theoretically possible.
bill says
If the Gazans and the PA citizens were not brainwashed from birth they would know that Israel has done more for them than their own govts. have ever done. Like treating their sick in Israel’s hospitals, giving them work (to Israel’s ultimate cost) and other things. There are probably some thinking Gazans but like the anti Nazis in Germany have had to keeo their opinions to themselves.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Actually, Hebron, Jericho and Nablus are all holy cities in Jewish tradition, as far as I understand. They should all be annexed by Israel and settled by Jews. There should be no “Palestinian Authority” running any of those cities, nor other places in Judea or Samaria. Like the Gazans, they too should be moved to Libya, preferably the Fezzan desert
skeptiker says
Absolut. Keine bewaffneten Moslems mehr auf den von der Hamas und von der PA gesäuberten Gebiete.
Hugh Fitzgerald says
I have read that the four holy cities in Judaism are Jerusalem, Hebron, Safed, and Tiberias. i have no idea what it means to be a “holy city” in Judaism or in any other religion.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
The latter 2 are in Galilee, in Israel proper, and not in Judea or Samaria. But Nablus is what has Joseph’s tomb, which the Palis desecrated: wouldn’t that be something important to the Jews? I did check Jericho: looks like there was nothing there important to the Hebrews if Wiki is anything to go by
Bret says
Most of these Muslim groups especially the smaller ones, are in fights with each other. All of them are looking for notoriety, along with power that will multiply when and if they are victorious. But always leading to death to the Jews and world dominance.
OLD GUY says
Bret: you said it all.
Chess says
Is it really black and white ?
Isn’t this
move in a positive direction?
The Jews have given the globe unbelievable contributions. They continue to this day. Let’s thank them.
Let’s Pay Attention to the GOOD.
Transmaster says
The United States should go back to how it was during the Cold War, “he may be a son-of a-bitch, but he is our son-of-a-bitch.” A prime example of this is Saddam Hussein. He was one such a son-of-bitch. He was the one person the Iranian theocracy feared.
gravenimage says
Arab Clan Leader in Gaza Declares Open War on Hamas
………………………………………….
Hard to know wat this means ultimately–but oppositon n Gaza to Hamas is a good thing as far as this goes.
Lady of the Lake says
What israel should do is tell the clan to pack up and take a generous relocation offer immediately because they will not continue to be given any more israeli support while in gaza.