Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLEtz3H0jSfEneSdf1YKnw/join
Yasser Abu Shabab — the 31-year-old commander of the Israeli-backed “Popular Forces” militia — has been killed in Rafah, triggering the collapse of Israel’s most ambitious post-war Gaza experiment. His death has exposed the full extent of Israel’s covert strategy to arm anti-Hamas clans and install Palestinian collaborators as governing authorities in southern Gaza after the October ceasefire.
Abu Shabab, described as Israel’s most important local partner in Gaza, was fatally shot while mediating a clan dispute. His own tribe, the Tarabin, publicly rejected him after his killing, declaring that their name would not be used to build militias “that work for the benefit of the occupation.” Israeli officials attempted to evacuate him to Soroka Hospital, but he died before arrival.
As details emerge, the fallout is severe. Abu Shabab’s group — which claimed to command around 3,000 men — had been central to Israel’s plan to secure Gaza using local militias trained and armed with IDF-issued AK-47s. These militias operated in Israeli-controlled zones, carried out raids into Hamas areas, and were recorded escorting humanitarian aid convoys. UN officials accused the group of looting aid trucks, while Hamas branded Abu Shabab a “traitor” and vowed to hunt him down.
With his militia now splintering and fighters reportedly surrendering to Hamas, Israel’s entire post-war model for Gaza governance is unraveling. Former Shin Bet officials admit these militias “operated like a formal army,” while critics compared Israel’s strategy to “creating ISIS in Gaza.” Abu Shabab’s killing is more than a targeted strike — it is a strategic failure. It undermines Israel’s transitional governance plan, weakens Netanyahu’s justification for arming anti-Hamas clans, and complicates the U.S.-backed Gaza peace framework envisioned under President Trump. Hamas is already calling his death “the inevitable fate of every traitor,” signalling an aggressive campaign to eliminate all remaining Israeli-aligned factions. This live report tracks the collapse of Israel’s militia network and what it means for the future of Gaza’s political landscape.
00:00Yasser Abu Shabab, the 31-year-old commander of the Israeli-backed Popular Forces militia,
00:14was shot and killed on December 4th, 2025, in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
00:21According to his faction, Abu Shabab was fatally wounded while attempting to mediate a dispute between local families,
00:28suggesting the shooting resulted from internal clan conflicts rather than direct Hamas action.
00:36The death of Yasser Abu Shabab marks the end of a dark chapter, one that did not reflect our tribe's history and principles.
00:45The Tarabin tribe stands with the Palestinian resistance in all its factions.
00:51It refuses to let our tribe's name or members be exploited to form militias
00:57that work for the benefit of the occupation.
01:02This is what Gaza's Tarabin tribe said in a statement following his death.
01:08Israeli officials attempted to evacuate Abu Shabab to Soroka Hospital in southern Israel,
01:13but he died of his wounds before arrival.
01:16Abu Shabab's death marks a major setback for Israel's post-war Gaza strategy
01:21and exposes the vulnerability of Palestinians chosen by Israel to serve as collaborators and alternatives to Hamas rule.
01:30His killing occurred less than a month after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly acknowledged in June 2025
01:38that Israel had armed anti-Hamas clans and militias in Gaza,
01:42a controversial admission that contradicted Israel's previous denials.
01:45Abu Shabab led the popular forces, the largest and most organized of several Israeli-backed Palestinian militias
01:55operating in Gaza since the October 7th conflict.
01:59Netanyahu justified the arming of these groups, stating,
02:02what's wrong with that?
02:04It's beneficial and helps save the lives of Israeli Defense Forces soldiers.
02:08What's wrong with that?
02:09What's wrong with that?
02:10What's wrong with that?
02:11What's wrong with that?
02:12That, at the base of the security guard,
02:15we have done weapons in Gaza that are opposed to Hamas.
02:19What's wrong with that?
02:20It's only good.
02:21It's only for the lives of the soldiers.
02:24According to multiple Israeli sources,
02:27Abu Shabab's faction received weapons, including AK-47 rifles, from the Israel Defense Forces.
02:35Abu Shabab's group claimed to control approximately
02:373,000 individuals in the Rafah area, with fewer than half being armed combatants.
02:44However, Abu Shabab's faction denied receiving direct Israeli backing,
02:50despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
02:53In May 2025, Abu Shabab's fighters were documented securing humanitarian aid convoys from the Karem Shalom crossing.
03:01UN officials accused Abu Shabab's group of looting humanitarian trucks and stealing supplies intended for Gaza's civilian population.
03:11Hamas labeled Abu Shabab a traitor and collaborator, ordering its fighters to kill or capture him.
03:20Abu Shabab's death exposes Israel's broader strategy to arm multiple Palestinian factions across Gaza as alternatives to Hamas' governance.
03:29Beyond the popular forces, Israel has backed several other armed militias, including groups led by commanders such as Ashraf al-Mansi in Gaza and Hosama al-Estal east of Khan Yunis, each commanding a few hundred fighters.
03:46These militias operate primarily in Israeli-controlled territories of southern Gaza, conducting raids into Hamas-dominated areas before retreating to Israeli protection.
03:58Israeli officials argued that these groups were necessary to secure areas of Gaza and allow Israeli forces to focus on other operations.
04:07Former Shin-Bed official Shalom Ben-Hanan stated,
04:10Shalom Ben-Hanan stated,
04:11They conduct military operations as if they were a formal military unit. If they weren't present to handle these tasks, our own forces would have to.
04:24However, critics, including Israeli opposition politicians, argued that arming these groups was equivalent to creating ISIS in Gaza.
04:33Abu Shabab's death signals a critical failure in Israel's post-war governance strategy for Gaza.
04:43Israel had planned to use Abu Shabab's popular forces, along with other Israeli-backed militias, as a transitional administration to govern southern Gaza following the October ceasefire agreement, facilitating reconstruction and disarming Hamas.
04:59However, with Abu Shabab dead, and dozens of his fighters reportedly surrendering to Namas after his assassination, Israel's vision of Palestinian collaborators governing Gaza has become untenable.
05:15Hamas, in statements issued after Abu Shabab's killing, celebrated his death as the inevitable fate of every traitor and called on other Israeli-backed militia members to surrender before facing a similar end.
05:32The killing also undermines Trump's Gaza peace plan, which envisions a multinational transitional authority governing the enclave alongside local Palestinian security forces.
05:43The killing of Allahiousしました!
05:481
05:50And there is a mammoth to torment near the altrucks of Christ.
Be the first to comment