In war-torn Gaza, where hunger, mistrust, and militia rule collide, one man has risen to claim control over a patch of territory, offering what he calls "safety and order". That man is Yasser Abu Shabab, a clan leader from Rafah who now leads a controversial militia allegedly under Israeli protection and in direct defiance of Hamas.
Once a known figure in Gaza's criminal underworld, with alleged links to drug trafficking and extremist groups like Daesh, Abu Shabab has now rebranded himself as the commander of the 'Popular Forces', a self-declared unit he says is protecting civilians and humanitarian aid from chaos and Hamas's grip.
Clan To A Force
Abu Shabab's transformation from clansman to armed leader has been swift and public.
This week, he released a video message claiming his group, formally called al-Quwat el-Shabeyaa (Popular Forces), has taken control of eastern Rafah. He urged displaced civilians to return, promising food, shelter, and protection in makeshift camps erected under the watch of the Israeli military.
His fighters, mostly relatives, are seen wearing uniforms bearing Palestinian flags and "counter-terrorism unit" patches. They are seen setting up tents, unloading flour from trucks, and distributing supplies, all within IDF-controlled zones. Abu Shabab insists his presence in Israeli-controlled zones is "not by choice, but out of necessity, to prevent the displacement plan."
His militia's mission is to defend civilians against what he calls the "terrorism of the de facto government [Hamas]" and the rampant looting of aid. "We operate under Palestinian legitimacy," he said, suggesting ties with the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah, although the PA has remained silent on any affiliation.
Claims Then Counterclaims
With Gaza's humanitarian system in collapse, and Israeli aid blockades entering their 12th week, any semblance of structure attracts attention.
Abu Shabab's supporters argue that his forces are simply stepping in where no one else will.
Hamas recently executed four people for looting aid, according to a Reuters report, and his group claims it is preventing such thefts. But Hamas officials accuse him of the same, saying his men have intercepted aid near Kerem Shalom and Salah al-Din Street.
A Hamas official dismissed Abu Shabab as "a tool used by the Israeli occupation to fragment the Palestinian internal front," while others call him an outright collaborator.
Reports by Quds News and outlets like Haaretz and The Washington Post suggest that Abu Shabab's group operates under full Israeli military protection. Witnesses say they have seen his fighters looting convoys and demanding "protection money" from drivers, all while Israeli tanks watch without interference.
In one reported incident, his men opened fire on an aid convoy 100 metres from an Israeli tank, with no response from the soldiers. Israeli airstrikes later killed six Palestinian officers who tried to prevent the looting.
"The armed men beat the drivers and take all the food if they aren't paid [protection money]," a senior official in Gaza told Haaretz.
Collaborator Or Protector?
Abu Shabab's rise has created deep divisions within Palestinian society.
To some, he represents a new form of localised order, a necessary force in an ungoverned space. Abu Shabab's Facebook page portrays him as a "grassroots leader who stood up against corruption and looting," and his supporters argue he is doing what Hamas failed to: protect the people and ensure aid gets where it is needed.
This turns Yasser Abu Shabab from a local strongman into a potential contender for power in southern Gaza, directly challenging Hamas's long-standing grip. For Israel, he could be the kind of local leader they have been hoping for: someone who can take control of an area, at least for now, while the war continues and Hamas is pushed back.
To others, he is a traitor, the face of a dangerous new model: a Palestinian leader backed not by popular will but by foreign military power.
They see Abu Shabab and his men as collaborators working with the Israeli army, not as protectors of their people. Because of this, most Palestinians do not trust him or accept him as a real alternative to Hamas, regardless of the latter's authoritarianism or failures.
But without legitimacy from Gaza's population, his hold on power remains shaky at best.
The 'Awakening Councils' Parallel
Some observers draw comparisons between Abu Shabab's Popular Forces and the 'Awakening Councils' in Iraq - tribal militias funded by the US to defeat al-Qaeda in the mid-2000s. Those groups were effective in the short term but eventually disbanded or turned hostile once foreign troops withdrew.
Others liken his rise to the South Lebanon Army, a Christian-led militia that collapsed after Israel pulled out of Lebanon in 2000, leaving its fighters to face backlash and exile.
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