The group, calling itself the Popular Forces, operates in
eastern Rafah under the leadership of Yasser Abu Shabab, a Bedouin man in his
thirties who spent years in Hamas detention for criminal activities before October
07, attacks freed him from prison.
According to comments made exclusively to Euronews, Abu
Shabab’s group — not to be confused with Somalia’s Islamist extremists,
Al-Shabaab — first banded together in June 2024.
The Popular Forces, who also go by the moniker Anti-Terror
Service, describe themselves as mere "volunteers from among the
people" who protect humanitarian aid from "looting, corruption and
organized theft" by Hamas-affiliated groups.
"We are not a substitute for the state, nor are we a
party to any political conflict," the group said in a statement to
Euronews. "We are not professional fighters ... as we do not engage in
guerrilla warfare tactics."
Hamas has responded with direct assassinations against
Popular Forces members, going on a show of force against potential rival
organizations despite months of Israeli military strikes.
"Hamas has killed over 50 of our volunteers, including
members of Commander Yasser's family, while we were guarding aid convoys,"
the Popular Forces spokesperson said.
Earlier, Hamas firmly rejected allegations of war
profiteering and humanitarian aid theft, also levelled at them by Israel —
something the Popular Forces insist is in fact still happening.
Meanwhile, Yasser Abu Shabab himself revealed his group is
“coordinating” with the Israeli army in Rafah.
In an interview on Sunday with Israeli public broadcaster
KAN’s Arabic-language radio, Abu Shabab said his group is cooperating with
Israel on “support and assistance” but not “military actions,” which he
explained were conducted solely by his group.
While the Popular Forces have since denied that Abu Shabab
gave the interview to KAN altogether after coming under fire from critics in
Gaza, the arrangement would represent Israel's latest attempt to cultivate
local partners who might challenge Hamas’ control of the Strip.
A broader coalition, including the Palestinian Authority
(PA), Egypt, the UAE and the US, is reportedly involved in seeking alternatives
to Hamas rule.
"These popular forces are a two-edged sword,"
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Jerusalem's deputy mayor and Foreign Ministry special envoy,
told Euronews.
"We're not talking about peace-loving democrats. We're
talking about gangs who've had enough of the biggest gang of all, which is
Hamas."
Although wary of Abu Shabab, Hassan-Nahoum also acknowledged
Israel has little choice. "There were two Gazas," she explained.
"There was the Gaza of Hamas ... and then there was the second Gaza of the
disenfranchised people who weren't part of Hamas."
And some among the disenfranchised have simply reached a
breaking point, Hassan-Nahoum said. "These gangs, I believe, have just
gotten to the point where they feel that Hamas is weak, and obviously, they've
created the biggest catastrophe for the Gaza Strip in history."
