Yasser Abu Shabab speaks out

Yasser Abu Shabab, head of the anti-Hamas Popular Forces militia, declared an unrelenting campaign against Hamas in a July 6, 2025, interview with Israel’s KAN broadcaster, signaling escalating tensions in Gaza’s Rafah region. “There is no stopping a civil war against Hamas,” Abu Shabab stated, accusing the group of inflicting “bitterness and injustice” on Gazans.

Leading a militia he claims is unaffiliated with any political ideology, Abu Shabab told KAN his group is actively confronting Hamas, particularly in Rafah. In a prior Army Radio interview last month, he denied collaborating with Israel but left open the possibility of future coordination with the IDF on humanitarian aid distribution. He confirmed ties with the Palestinian Authority (PA) for administrative purposes, emphasizing no military support from the PA.

Abu Shabab asserted that his Popular Forces are poised to govern Gaza once Hamas is ousted. “Hamas knows the Popular Forces will be the heirs in Gaza after they are crushed,” he said, noting logistical and financial backing from undisclosed sources. He framed his militia as a defender against Hamas’s “corruption,” pledging support for any legitimate force seeking to end injustice.

The interview followed Hamas’s Interior Ministry issuing a 10-day ultimatum on July 2, accusing Abu Shabab of “treason, collaborating with hostile entities, forming an armed gang, and insurrection.” He dismissed the charges, telling Kan News that Hamas, responsible for the October 7 attack, should face trial for causing civilian suffering and deaths, as reported by JPost.

The militia’s rise comes amid ongoing Gaza conflict, with Abu Shabab’s group positioning itself as a counterforce to Hamas’s rule, raising questions about Gaza’s future governance.

Angry at Hamas and declaring “its end is near”: In his first interview with an Israeli media outlet, Yasser Abu Shabab, commander of the “Popular Forces” in Gaza, speaks about the group he leads and its coordination with the IDF.

Labeled a "traitor" by Hamas, Shabab explained:

“Hamas has said everything about me—criminal, thief, ISIS member—just to scare people away from me. But it didn’t work. Someone who kidnaps and murders children, like the Bibas family—do they even have the legitimacy to define or judge anyone? These are despicable subhuman cowards, and their end is near. We want the Israeli hostages to return home. Every innocent person on all sides should go back to their home, their children, their families. The people of Gaza have paid an unbearable price because of a deranged terror organization. We won’t leave the Strip—we will continue to fight Hamas.”

“We were treated with suspicion because of our ties to the tribe in Sinai that opposes the Muslim Brotherhood. They murdered 52 members of our tribe, including my brother. We are Bedouin, a people of honor. One cannot remain silent in the face of such painful humiliation. That’s why I decided—with the support of the Palestinian Authority—to take action and form the Abu Shabab group. We are men of peace and brotherhood. We don’t want wars. Our connection is with the Palestinian Authority, that’s all.”

“Hamas planned, executed, and carried out October 7 with no regard for the miserable people living in Gaza. We lost everything—our homes, property, work, money—while they live in tunnels and lack nothing. Is there a greater injustice than that? Hamas takes everything for its people, and if anything is left for the common folk, they’ll take that too. If not, the people go hungry. I decided I couldn’t stay silent. I started stopping trucks, taking food and distributing it. I did that for months. I became wanted by Hamas—but my conscience was clear, because I was feeding children and women.”