Yasser Abu Shabab

Yasser Abu Shabab^[a] (19 December 1993 – 4 December 2025) was a Palestinian militia leader from Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. He led an armed group called the Popular Forces, also known as the Anti-Terror Service. His group controls parts of eastern Rafah during the ongoing Gaza war.^[2][3][4][5]

He was called the "Pablo Escobar of Gaza" because of his past involvement in smuggling and his powerful role in local armed politics.^{[6][7][8][9][10]}

Yasser Abu Shabab was born into the Tarabin tribe, a Bedouin clan in southern Gaza. He left school at a young age and was later arrested by Hamas for drug trafficking and theft. In 2015, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison.^[11][12]

In October 2023, during Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, the prison where Abu Shabab was held was bombed. He escaped and later formed the Popular Forces in early 2024. His group operates in Rafah, where it helps control aid convoys, sets up checkpoints, and sometimes clashes with other armed groups.^[13][14] The group would seize the village of Al-Bayuk, and turn it into their de facto capital.^[15]

The Popular Forces are made up mostly of members from Abu Shabab’s tribe and nearby communities, and are said to have alleged ties to Salafist groups.^[16] The group claims it protects humanitarian aid and keeps order in areas where Hamas has lost control. However, some reports say the group has also stolen aid, worked with the IDF, and used violence against civilians.^{[17][18][19][20][21]}

News reports say that Israel supports Abu Shabab’s group as part of a plan to weaken Hamas. Israeli officials have confirmed giving weapons to clans in Gaza, though they did not name specific groups. Some people in Gaza view Abu Shabab as a traitor, while others see him as a local leader who stands up to Hamas.^[23]

On 4 December 2025, Yasser Abu Shabab was reportedly killed by unknown gunmen near Rafah. The Israeli Army Radio reported that Abu Shabab and a senior commander of the group Ghassan Duhine were wounded in the ambush,^[24] while Ynet reported that he was killed due to an internal dispute within the Popular Forces.^[25][26] Some sources state that Abu Shabab was physically abused by his captors.^[27]

Huge celebrations erupted in the Gaza Strip following the announcement of Abu Shabab's death, with Palestinian civilians handing out sweets.^[28]

• Popular Forces administration in the Gaza Strip