Yasser Abu Shabab's militia claims to have killed Hamas gunmen in a confrontation as group seeks to expand its influence in Gaza

The Popular Forces militia, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, announced on Monday night that it had killed five Hamas terrorists in an ambush it carried out against a squad from the terror organization. 

The militia claimed that it acted against members of the Saham Unit of Hamas, responsible for exposing and lynching “collaborators” with the Israeli government, after the Hamas fighters had acted against some of the militia’s members. 

The battle between the Popular Forces militia and the Hamas Saham unit took place around midnight, and a senior member of the militia claimed on Facebook that the group had killed five Hamas fighters, describing the Hamas Saham unit as "a terrorist gang that oppresses our people.” 

Yasser Abu Shabab's deputy, Ghassan al-Dahini, wrote that the militia “used anti-tank rocket launchers for the first time” during its fight with Hamas. He also published a list of names of Hamas terrorists he said had been killed by the Popular Forces in the confrontation. 

Yasser Abu Shabab, a member of the Tarabin Bedouin tribe, has a checkered past. He previously worked for the Palestinian Authority before Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, and was later arrested by the Hamas government on charges of smuggling and drug possession. After the outbreak of the Oct. 7 Iron Swords War, he began leading a resistance group against Hamas.

Hamas has often accused Abu Shabab of being affiliated with ISIS and of stealing humanitarian aid, claims which Abu Shabab denies. 

According to a report by news site i24, Abu Shabab’s militia may have received help from the IDF during the confrontation with Hamas. The news site reported on Tuesday, that IDF units assisted Popular Forces members, launching a drone airstrike after observing the firefight and determining that one side was composed of Hamas fighters. 

It is not yet known if the fighters of Abu Shabab’s militia asked for the assistance from the IDF, or if the IDF intervened on its own initiative. 

Also on Tuesday, a report in Maariv stated that the Shin Bet – specifically outgoing director Ronen Bar – recommended that the Israeli government provide arms and limited support to Abu Shabab’s militia as a means of hastening Hamas’ downfall.

The report claimed that Bar also recommended that the captured arms, taken from Hamas fighters and weapons caches discovered by the IDF during the war, be used to arm the group, instead of providing them with Israeli purchased weapons. 

The Maariv report also claimed that the Israeli government is using the group as a test case to determine the feasibility of establishing a new governing entity in parts of the Gaza Strip after they have been cleared of Hamas presence. 

The move was attacked by right-wing opposition politician Avigdor Lieberman last week, however, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back, saying the move could help save the lives of IDF soldiers. 

The attempt to create a replacement for Hamas’ civil government may also be seen in a recent announcement by Yasser Abu Shabab that his group is looking for people with “experience, skills, and expertise” for roles in a civil governance initiative. 

BIG DEVELOPMENT 🔴

Gazan Leader Launches Civil Push to Replace Hamxs Rule in Rafah

In an effort to build a civil alternative to Hamxs, Yasser Abu Shabab has announced the recruitment of Gazans with “experience, skills, and expertise” for voluntary roles in civil governance.… pic.twitter.com/dfsHCCw5Jq

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 9, 2025

The group is reportedly attempting to build a new civic infrastructure in the territory of Rafah, where it has previously invited Palestinians from Gaza to come and live under its protection. If true, it would mark the first attempt to create a governing alternative to Hamas since the start of the war.