In June, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly acknowledged that Israel is arming and supporting a Gaza-based militia known as the “Popular Forces” in its war against Hamas. In a short video posted on Twitter (X), Netanyahu dismissed criticism, stating, “What’s the problem? This is simply helping save Israeli soldiers’ lives.”
While Netanyahu refrained from clarifying exactly who these “Popular Forces” are, analysts and Palestinian activists believe they are a locally recruited militia led by Yasir Abu Shabab—a controversial figure accused of drug trafficking, looting humanitarian aid, and collaborating with Israel’s military objectives. Critics say the strategy is designed to give Israel’s campaign in Gaza a “Palestinian face” to deflect accusations of direct war crimes and ethnic cleansing.
The Shadowy Rise of Yasir Abu Shabab
Abu Shabab, 31, hails from Gaza’s Tarabin Bedouin tribe—a group historically marginalized within Palestinian society and often targeted for recruitment by regional powers. Prior to the current Gaza war, Abu Shabab was virtually unknown outside criminal circles. Arrested in 2015 on drug-related charges, he was imprisoned until October 7, 2023, when Israel’s assault on Gaza provided the chaos for him to escape.
The Sinai Peninsula, bordering Gaza and Egypt, has long been a hub for smuggling operations, including drugs. Analysts say many of these smuggling networks are tied to ISIS-affiliated groups, and multiple sources suggest Abu Shabab may have links to them. But rather than treating him as a threat, Israel has allegedly turned him into an asset.
In less than a year, Abu Shabab organized a militia of roughly 100 fighters under the banner of the “Popular Forces.” Despite his limited education—reportedly dropping out after primary school—he suddenly emerged as a well-spoken figure in international media. He even authored an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, claiming that Gazans have turned against Hamas. Experts suspect this media transformation was orchestrated outside Gaza, polishing his image for political utility.
His own tribe has publicly condemned and disowned him for cooperating with Israel—an extraordinary act in Bedouin tribal culture, where such statements are rare and carry severe reputational weight.
From Aid Loophole to Armed Proxy
Abu Shabab’s notoriety surged after Israel’s heavy bombardment of Rafah in late May 2024. Within weeks, his militia reportedly became the primary force looting humanitarian aid entering Gaza.
The UN estimates that nine out of every ten aid trucks entering the enclave have been intercepted and looted before reaching intended recipients. Initially, Israel accused Hamas of orchestrating the thefts. But humanitarian agencies—including those working inside Gaza—denied this, and Israel has yet to produce any evidence.
A confidential UN document obtained by The Washington Post identifies Abu Shabab as the “principal and most influential figure” behind the “planned and large-scale looting” operations. Aid workers say his militia has effectively diverted essential supplies—food, medicine, tents—away from starving civilians, while Israeli authorities have done nothing to stop it.
Mohammed Shehada, visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, notes that Abu Shabab reappeared in May precisely when Israel, under heavy international pressure, allowed limited aid to trickle into Gaza. “The very day aid began to enter, he resurfaced—becoming the face of Israel’s starvation policy, giving them plausible deniability,” Shehada told Al Jazeera.
A Palestinian Face for an Israeli Strategy
Analysts believe Abu Shabab’s militia is not just a criminal gang but a deliberate tool in Israel’s ethnic cleansing strategy. By outsourcing certain operations—like controlling food distribution, managing displacement camps, and intimidating civilians—to a Palestinian proxy, Israel can claim it is not directly responsible.
Tariq Kenney-Shawa, a US policy fellow at the Palestinian policy network Al-Shabaka, argues that Israel is actively strengthening militias linked to Abu Shabab to manage de facto “concentration camp” zones in Gaza. “This reduces Israel’s direct occupation burden while facilitating the removal of Palestinians from key areas,” he says.
The use of local collaborators is not new in Israeli strategy. Historically, Israel has attempted to establish “Village Leagues” in the West Bank during the late 1970s and 1980s—local Palestinian councils meant to replace the PLO’s influence, but widely discredited as collaborationist. Similar tactics were seen in southern Lebanon during Israel’s occupation, where the South Lebanon Army acted as a local proxy force.
Forced Displacement Under the Banner of ‘Voluntary Migration’
In early July, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz unveiled a plan to relocate 600,000 Palestinians to a “temporary camp” in southern Gaza, describing it as “voluntary migration.” The proposal triggered outrage in Israeli media and condemnation from international humanitarian organizations.
Reports suggest Abu Shabab’s militia is already involved in constructing facilities for such camps. Analysts—including Omar Rahman of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs—say these are designed to hold Palestinians until they can be transferred to Egypt or a third country. Egypt has already rejected such plans.
Shehada points out that Israel knows running a concentration camp in Rafah under its own flag would be unacceptable internationally. “That’s why they need someone who looks Palestinian, speaks Arabic, waves the Palestinian flag, and can front these operations,” he said.
The Propaganda War
Beyond physical operations, Abu Shabab is running two targeted Facebook campaigns promoting his camps as “safe havens” where displaced Palestinians can receive aid and shelter. Kenney-Shawa warns that such messaging could lure war-weary Gazans into camps controlled by his militia—especially if Israel starts forcibly pushing them there.
This is not just a military tactic—it’s an information war. By presenting displacement as “voluntary” and aid as coming from a local Palestinian leader, Israel’s narrative gains plausible deniability.
The Broader Implications
If these allegations are accurate, Israel’s collaboration with Abu Shabab marks a troubling escalation in proxy warfare—blurring the lines between criminal gangs, humanitarian aid distribution, and military objectives. It also risks deepening divisions within Palestinian society, as collaborationists are pitted against the broader population.
The use of a Palestinian proxy for an alleged ethnic cleansing campaign could also complicate future accountability. In war crimes tribunals, states often attempt to shift blame to “non-state actors” to evade prosecution—a tactic seen in conflicts from the Balkans to Africa.
For Gaza’s civilians, however, the implications are immediate: looted aid, restricted movement, forced displacement, and the looming threat of permanent exile. As Shehada bluntly put it, “Abu Shabab is the Palestinian mask on Israel’s policy of starvation and expulsion.”
