Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
A newly emerged militia in southern Gaza, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, has sparked intense controversy after announcing a public recruitment campaign offering relatively high salaries to new security personnel. The group, named “Yasser Abu Shabab – Popular Forces,” began accepting applications this weekend for roles in areas under its control in eastern Rafah, raising questions about its funding, motives, and alleged ties to foreign actors.
In a public statement issued Saturday, August 23, the group called on locals with military or legal backgrounds to apply for positions as soldiers or officers. According to the group’s social media channels, recruits would receive a monthly salary of 3,000 shekels for soldiers and 5,000 shekels for officers, figures considered generous in Gaza’s wartime economy.
The militia also claimed it continues to operate under pre-war economic conditions, in contrast to the deep economic turmoil plaguing other parts of the Strip.
Applicants are asked to provide detailed personal information, including identification documents, academic qualifications, and previous experience, with applications submitted via a listed email address and phone number.
Abu Shabab: Militia Leader or Foreign Asset?
Yasser Abu Shabab, 35, a polarizing figure in Gaza’s volatile political landscape, has been the subject of both local and international scrutiny. In July, Abu Shabab granted an interview to The Sunday Times in which he denied allegations of collaboration with Israel or involvement in organized crime, stating that he is simply “a Palestinian who cares about his people.” He described himself as a former construction worker with no military background and claimed that his group’s purpose is to protect humanitarian aid and confront Hamas, which he accuses of using violence to silence dissent.
However, the Hamas-run Ministry of Interior has a starkly different view. In early July, it issued an ultimatum demanding that Abu Shabab surrender within ten days. The military judiciary’s Revolutionary Court then issued a public indictment accusing him of four serious charges: treason, collaboration with hostile entities, forming an armed gang, and attempted insurrection.
He was officially declared a fugitive, and residents were warned that withholding information about his whereabouts would be treated as aiding a wanted criminal.
Hamas has also accused Abu Shabab’s group of looting UN aid convoys and acting as an Israeli proxy, allegations he firmly denies. Instead, he has painted his faction as a grassroots movement seeking to protect aid supplies and push back against what he calls Hamas’s “oppressive rule.”
Israeli Involvement: Conflicting Reports Emerge
Israeli reactions to the rise of Abu Shabab’s militia have been mixed and contradictory. Right-wing politician Avigdor Lieberman previously accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of covertly arming opposition factions in Gaza without naming specific groups. In response, the Prime Minister’s Office maintained that Israel is “pursuing the defeat of Hamas through multiple means, in line with the advice of its security services.”
Further reports have added layers of intrigue. Israeli newspaper Maariv cited intelligence sources alleging that Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, the Shin Bet (Shabak), was involved in establishing and arming Abu Shabab’s group. The article claimed former agency head Ronen Bar received direct instructions from Netanyahu to supply the militia with confiscated weapons from Hamas and Hezbollah, seized during Israel’s ongoing military campaign known as “Operation Iron Swords.”
Adding to the regional complexity, Israel’s i24NEWS reported that unnamed Arab parties and an advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were involved in training members of the militia, suggesting that Abu Shabab’s network may extend beyond Gaza’s borders and involve broader geopolitical calculations.
An Assassination Attempt and a City on Edge
As tensions escalate, so do the risks. According to a Reuters report citing intelligence sources, Hamas allegedly dispatched two security operatives on a covert mission to assassinate Abu Shabab in Rafah. The area, largely under Israeli military control, has become a dangerous patchwork of factions, armed groups, and foreign actors, with Abu Shabab’s militia now firmly entrenched.
The situation in eastern Rafah remains volatile, with growing concern among civilians about the implications of another armed group asserting power. While some residents see the group as a potential counterbalance to Hamas’s dominance, others worry that the increasing militarization of the area could lead to more violence, chaos, and division.
As questions about funding, legitimacy, and alliances swirl, the emergence of Abu Shabab’s forces may signal a new and unpredictable phase in Gaza’s internal dynamics, one shaped as much by regional maneuvering as by local grievances. Whether the group can gain legitimacy or will be swept aside by larger powers remains to be seen, but for now, its presence is adding fuel to an already combustible environment.
