Gaza (QNN)- Israeli-backed militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab was killed on Thursday in clashes between militiamen, in a major blow to Israeli plans to support militias in Gaza. Abu Shabab was an infamous figure in Gaza, known for collaborating with Israel in its genocidal war.
According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing a security source, and several Israeli media reports, Abu Shabab was killed in clashes between militiamen.
The reports said he died from severe beatings, not from a shooting.
Hours later, the Abu Shabab militia officially announced that he had been killed by a gunshot while trying to break up a dispute with another gang.
Who Was Yasser Abu Shabab
Abu Shabab was a known leader of armed gangs linked to ISIS and involved in looting aid under Israeli protection.
He claimed his gang is “securing” the delivery of the limited humanitarian aid entering Gaza. However, these gangs were intercepting humanitarian aid trucks. These groups operated under the protection of Israeli forces, enabling large-scale looting and sabotage of relief efforts in the besieged Strip, leaving straving Palestinians to face Israeli-made famine
Last year, the Abu Shabab gang had seized a gas truck, setting it ablaze to block roads and prevent aid deliveries.
The gang’s activities, described as coordinated with the Israeli military, have contributed to worsening humanitarian conditions, particularly in areas facing severe food shortages.
Reports from international outlets, including Haaretz and The Washington Post, had corroborated reports that these criminal gangs are affiliated to ISIS and operate under the protection of Israeli forces.
Witnesses and internal UN memos indicate that gangs looting aid convoys are often seen near Israeli military positions, where Israeli soldiers take no action against them.
The gangs in Gaza “may be benefitting from a passive if not active benevolence” or “protection” from the Israeli army.
Later, Israeli officials said they were cooperating with armed groups in Gaza, including the one led by Abu Shabab, in order to establish a local anti-Palestinian force. In July, Netanyahu said Israel funds Gaza militias, including Abu Shabab's.
A History of Criminal Activity
Yasser Abu Shabab had a known history of drug smuggling and collaboration with extremist groups. His gang, reportedly consisting of over 200 armed individuals, has established a fortified base in an Israeli-occupied zone in Rafah. This area, referred to as a “death zone,” is typically inaccessible to Gaza residents, further raising suspicions of Israeli complicity in the gang’s activities.
A Blow to Israel
Experts have said the rise of Abu Shabab reflects a longstanding Israeli policy of supporting Palestinian armed groups in an effort to create internal strife and undermine political movements and resistance.
Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh said that his death is “very bad for Israel”.
“There were some in the Israeli military establishment who were betting on these groups,” Odeh said.
“Of course, alignment with Israel in the midst of a genocide was radioactive because these groups are socially condemned,” she added.
Odeh said there had been debate in Israel over what to do with groups like the one Abu Shabab belonged to, and whether they should be allowed to enter Israel after the ceasefire, a move the Israeli establishment ultimately rejected.
On Thursday, a Hamas-affiliated security force in Gaza, Radaa, posted a photo of Abu Shabab on Telegram, captioned: “As we told you, ‘Israel won’t protect you.'”
Palestinian-American journalist Ali Abu Nima wrote, "The killing of the murderous Palestinian traitor Yasser Abu Shabab is a huge blow to the genocidal Zionist regime and its European, American and Arab backers. The Zionist genocide regime is censoring the story."
