DayofPal– A new investigation by open-source intelligence group Ekad has exposed the internal structure, operations, and foreign backing of the so-called “Popular Forces” militia, led by Yasser Abu Shabab in Gaza.
The militia, composed of convicted criminals and individuals with past ties to extremist networks, has reportedly operated with full coordination from the Israeli military while systematically looting humanitarian aid and enforcing displacement in southern Gaza.
The revelations emerge amid mounting outrage over a Wall Street Journal op-ed published under Abu Shabab’s name, despite his documented illiteracy, criminal record, and history with drug trafficking and ISIS-linked networks.
Critics have accused the paper of providing a platform to a warlord aligned with Israeli occupation objectives during a deepening humanitarian catastrophe that has left over 120 Palestinians dead from famine, most of them children.
A Militia Built on Coordination
The group’s leader, Yasser Abu Shabab, a Rafah native from the Tarabin tribe, was previously imprisoned in Gaza for arms and drug trafficking.
He escaped custody during early Israeli airstrikes that targeted police infrastructure and later resurfaced in May 2024 as head of an armed faction reportedly numbering between 100 and 300 fighters.
In a televised interview with Israel’s KAN News on July 6, Abu Shabab openly declared “war on Hamas” and confirmed direct coordination with the Israeli military.
He also claimed administrative backing from the Palestinian Authority (PA), signaling a calculated attempt to present himself as a post-Hamas governance figure.
According to Ekad’s findings, the militia has seized the majority of aid entering Gaza in recent months. Between May and October 2024, Abu Shabab’s forces reportedly intercepted 80 out of 100 aid convoys and killed at least four truck drivers, according to The Washington Post.
The militia also operates armed checkpoints near the Kerem Shalom crossing and is accused of setting up fortified aid distribution zones designed to funnel civilians into Israeli-controlled areas.
A Three-Tiered Militia Network
Ekad’s investigation used satellite imagery, social media analysis, and video geolocation to map out the militia’s internal hierarchy:
Top Tier: Led by Abu Shabab and his deputy Ghassan Al-Dhahini, a former PA security officer and fugitive with ties to ISIS-aligned Army of Islam. Al-Dhahini has appeared in videos firing weapons near Rafah’s Al-Da’wah Mosque, close to key aid depots.
Second Tier: Includes armed enforcers like Bakr Al-Wakeely, Youssef Abu Nasser, and Saddam Abu Zakar, seen in tactical gear near aid trucks. Others such as Tarek Abu Hassan and Abu Hassan Al-Tarabini were recorded riding atop looted aid shipments with automatic weapons.
Third Tier: Field operatives such as Nimer, Kareem, Aboud Abu Al-Hussain, and the infamous Abu Anis documented themselves looting aid boxes and violently seizing shipments. Videos show them operating freely within Israeli-controlled corridors including the Philadelphia Axis and areas east of Rafah.
Israeli Military Backing and the “Humanitarian Resettlement” Agenda
The group’s operations are concentrated in zones under Israeli military control, particularly Al-Shawka, Al-Bayouk, and northern Rafah, where Israeli forces have established logistical dominance.
These are the same areas referenced by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who suggested they could serve as a “temporary concentration zone” for Palestinian civilians.
Ekad’s analysis concludes that the Abu Shabab militia plays a key role in advancing Israel’s broader displacement policy. By weaponizing humanitarian aid, the group controls civilian movement and redirects populations toward Israeli-administered zones under the guise of aid distribution.
“This is not a rogue group,” said a senior Ekad analyst. “This is a structured proxy force, armed and deployed to enforce an occupation agenda masked in humanitarian terms.”
A senior official with UNRWA, Sam Rose, described the militia-dominated corridors as “the valley of thieves,” underscoring the systematic nature of aid looting in areas of Israeli oversight.
Backlash and Warnings
Gaza’s Ministry of Interior recently issued a 10-day ultimatum for Abu Shabab and his militia to surrender. The Joint Room of Palestinian Factions, representing all armed resistance groups in Gaza, publicly labeled him a traitor.
The condemnation prompted Ekad to launch its in-depth investigation, which has since been widely circulated among humanitarian and diplomatic circles.
Ekad’s researchers confirmed the group’s direct coordination with Israeli forces not only through interviews and op-eds, but also by verifying the geolocated presence of militia leaders at Israeli-supervised crossings and aid convoys.
Criminal Past and Extremist Ties
In addition to Abu Shabab’s documented prison escape, multiple militia leaders have verifiable links to extremist and smuggling networks. Issam Al-Nabbahin, another high-ranking member, fought with ISIS in Sinai before fleeing back to Gaza. Though reportedly re-arrested, his current status remains unknown.
The investigation concludes that the group os a criminal militia operating with state-level coordination under the pretense of humanitarian service.
The Popular Forces, far from being a grassroots security effort, function as an Israeli-backed paramilitary unit with strategic aims: controlling aid, neutralizing Hamas rivals, and facilitating population displacement in southern Gaza.
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