Yasser Abu Shabab Vows to Confront Hamas "Whatever the Cost
Yasser Abu Shabab, Gaza militia leader backed by Israel, breaks silence and slams Hamas in fiery radio interview
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As the war in Gaza drags on and hostage negotiations remain stalled, a rare voice from inside the Strip is publicly challenging Hamas—and predicting its downfall.
In a dramatic radio interview Sunday, Yasser Abu Shabab, commander of the “Popular Forces” militia fighting alongside Israel in Gaza, tore into Hamas’s rule, calling the group "a hollow illusion... a balloon about to burst."
Abu Shabab leads a growing faction of disillusioned Gazans—armed and organized—who say they’ve had enough of Hamas’s “injustice and corruption.” According to him, the group’s only allegiance is to the Palestinian people, not any political ideology or party. “We support any legitimate force that seeks to remove the injustice from our people,” he said. “There will be blood. We will pay the price to free our people.”
The militia leader did not rule out a civil war in Gaza, declaring his fighters are willing to confront Hamas directly “whatever the cost.”
Asked about Hamas’s future, Abu Shabab was blunt: “They are fighting for survival. The deal they’re pushing for now will mark the beginning of their end.”
He added that once Hamas collapses, his group—the Popular Forces—will take control, though coordination with the Palestinian Authority remains limited to administrative matters only.
In retaliation, Hamas’s so-called “Interior Ministry” issued a warrant for Abu Shabab’s arrest, accusing him of espionage, armed rebellion, and treason. He was given ten days to surrender or face trial in absentia. Abu Shabab dismissed the threat: “Their threats mean nothing. They’ve lost the people. Hamas no longer represents Gaza—it’s a pawn of foreign regimes.”
According to Hamas's kangaroo court, Abu Shabab is being charged under Article 131 for collaboration with hostile entities, Article 168 for armed rebellion, and Article 176 for forming an armed gang. The court even threatened to prosecute anyone who knows his whereabouts and fails to report him.
In response, Abu Shabab’s militia released a statement accusing Hamas of the very same crimes: “If justice matters, the entire Hamas leadership should be tried—for collaborating with Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, enemies of our people and our national interest.”
Abu Shabab's rebellion is a stark sign of the growing cracks within Gaza’s internal structure—and a troubling omen for Hamas, which is increasingly seen as an agent of Tehran, not a voice of the Palestinian people.