Egypt Daily News – Yasser Abu Shab, the leader of the “Popular Forces” militia opposing Hamas, has publicly acknowledged collaborating with the Israeli army in southern Gaza. In a rare interview with Israel’s Arabic-language official radio station “Kan,” Abu Shab described how his armed group operates freely within areas under Israeli military control and maintains coordination with Israeli forces.
The European Council on Foreign Relations has characterized Abu Shab as the head of a “criminal gang” active in the Rafah region, widely accused of looting aid trucks destined for Gaza’s vulnerable population.
Abu Shab revealed that his militia informs Israeli forces about its independent military operations and confirmed receiving unspecified external support, while declining to disclose further details. Earlier this year, Israeli authorities admitted to supporting and arming an anti-Hamas Palestinian faction without directly naming the Popular Forces.
In his interview, Abu Shab distanced his group from any political ideology, portraying the Popular Forces as fighters against “injustice” and “corruption” within Gaza’s ruling Hamas government. He asserted that despite challenges, his group is committed to continuing its struggle and claimed Hamas is “struggling” and facing imminent downfall.
Hamas’ military judiciary recently ordered Abu Shab to surrender within ten days on charges of forming an armed gang and collaborating with Israel.
The “Joint Room of Palestinian Factions,” an umbrella body representing several resistance groups, condemned the Popular Forces as “tools of the Israeli occupation,” branding Abu Shab and his followers as “betrayers” outside the Palestinian national movement and whose lives are considered forfeit under resistance laws.
Yasser Abu Shab, born in 1990 and based in Rafah, established the Popular Forces militia operating primarily in Israeli-controlled southeastern Rafah. In recent weeks, members of his group have been spotted armed near humanitarian aid centers, raising concerns about the security situation in the volatile border area.
This revelation of direct militia collaboration with Israeli forces adds a complex layer to the ongoing conflict dynamics in Gaza, highlighting internal Palestinian divisions and challenges to Hamas’ authority.
