Yasser Abu Shabab was a Palestinian militant and the leader of the Popular Forces, an anti-Hamas armed group operating in the Gaza Strip. A member of the Bedouin Tarabin tribe, he was widely described as a Bedouin tribal leader and former convicted criminal, previously imprisoned by Hamas on charges including theft and drug trafficking.
His militia, which emerged during the Israel-Hamas war, reportedly had an estimated size of around 300 fighters. The group was known to have cooperated with Israeli forces, who allegedly provided support, and was accused by Palestinian sources and a UN document of being involved in the looting of humanitarian aid convoys, which is why he was known to many Palestinians as a "thief," "smuggler," and "traitor."
Abu Shabab died on December 4, 2025, from a gunshot wound in an incident that his militia claimed was the result of a clash with another family while mediating a dispute, while other reports, citing Israeli security sources, suggested it was an internal clash over collaboration with Israel or an ambush set by "resistance factions."
Hamas, which had repeatedly attempted to assassinate him, called his death the "inevitable fate of anyone who betrayed his people."
Comments