Leader of Gaza militia denies receiving weapons from Israel, doesn't rule out cooperation with IDF

Yasser Abu Shabab, the Palestinian Authority-affiliated leader of the Popular Forces militia, released a statement on Sunday morning denying active collaboration with Israel, and saying the group hopes to protect the Palestinian people “from Hamas’ terrorism.” 

The Popular Forces militia, which Israeli politician Avigdor Lieberman accused of having ties to ISIS, has recently begun to challenge Hamas’ control in the southern area of the Gaza Strip, and even encouraged Palestinians to come to eastern Rafah to be safe from Hamas. 

In a statement provided to the Center for Peace Communications, an Israeli group which has supported popular Palestinian opposition to Hamas, Abu Shabab said, “We have not and will not work with the occupation.” 

EXCLUSIVE: Gazan militia leader Yasir Abu Shabab issues first public statement.

“We aim to protect Palestinians from Hamas's terrorism … and expand into other areas controlled by Hamas.”

Watch: pic.twitter.com/yQCzQ2pQ5o

— Center for Peace Communications (@PeaceComCenter) June 8, 2025

“We have no ties to any state or political regime,” he said. “These accusations are attempts to damage our reputation and stir hostility between us and other countries.” 

Abu Shabab said that his group’s goal “is to protect Palestinian human rights from Hamas’ terrorism.” 

In a statement last week, Abu Shabab said his group was trying to prevent a permanent Palestinian displacement from the area. 

“We are acting out of necessity—to prevent displacement and bring back stability,” Abu Shabab said in a video statement released on Facebook. 

The leader of the militia group, which has clashed with Hamas in recent days, repeated his call to Palestinians in Gaza to come to the eastern Rafah area held by his group, and said hundreds of Palestinians have already done so. 

“Hundreds of families are seeking asylum with us, and we are receiving dozens of them every day,” Abu Shabab told Israeli journalist Doron Kadosh in a written interview. 

“Our presence here is necessary to protect the families in areas that are controlled by the army,” he said. “They arrive through a humanitarian corridor." 

Abu Shabab also said that the group was demanding that Israel and the international community ensure the safe transfer of Palestinian civilians to the newly cleared Rafah area. 

“We demand that the safe transfer of tens of thousands of people be allowed, and the humanitarian corridor should be under international supervision.” 

However, Abu Shabab did not rule out future cooperation with Israel in the area of humanitarian aid. 

“If any coordination is carried out – it will be humanitarian, for the benefit of our people in East Rafah, and will be carried out through mediation channels,” he stated. 

Responding to claims that he is operating on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, with whom he was previously employed as a security officer before the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Abu Shabab admitted that there is a relationship, but denied receiving any funding from the PA. 

“Our relations with the Authority are carried out within the framework of the supreme national interest of the Palestinian people, and within the framework of its legal legitimacy,” he stated. 

He said that his group relies on PA security and intelligence to help with the screening of Palestinians entering the territory his group controls. 

“We carry out security checks through the Muhbarat mechanism - Palestinian intelligence, which cooperates with us on this issue to ensure that terrorist elements do not enter and sabotage the liberation project from Hamas,” Abu Shabab explained. 

In the audio file released to the Center for Peace Communications, the militia leader also called for Hamas to “step down from governance, especially after hundreds of protests demanding their departure.” 

Abu Shabab also said that Hamas “has attacked our positions several times and killed about 25 people.” He claimed this was an attempt by the terror group to regain control of humanitarian aid in the Strip. 

Last week, Abu Shabab admitted that his group has cooperated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to help secure and distribute humanitarian aid within the Rafah area. 

Hamas, however, claims that the Popular Forces are responsible for looting aid trucks intended for the Palestinian people in Gaza. Pointing to Abu Shabab’s previous arrest on charges of drug smuggling, the terror organization accused Abu Shabab of running a criminal organization. 

Over the weekend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to admit providing aid to the Popular Forces, after stating that Israel has “activated [Palestinian] clans in Gaza opposed to Hamas.” 

“What’s wrong with this?” Netanyahu asked, stating that it would help save the lives of IDF soldiers. 

The prime minister also said, “Publicizing this only benefits Hamas.” 

Lieberman had accused the Popular Forces militia of ties to ISIS, claims which were repeated by many mainstream media outlets. However, no evidence of direct links between the group and ISIS has been revealed so far.