In the southern Gaza Strip, a shadowy new force has surfaced: a militia purportedly made up of native Bedouin combatants who have claimed criminal connections and purported ideological ties to the Islamic State organisation. With PM Benjamin acknowledging involvement with a Gaza tribal organisation, Israeli opposition leaders, Palestinians, Arabic media, and think tanks have all pointed to Israeli support for the militia, casting doubt on Tel Aviv’s policy in the war-torn enclave.
Is Israel arming a proxy militia inside Gaza?
Haaretz claims that the Israeli government has been arming a militia in Gaza that is connected to Yasser Abu Shabab, a leader of the influential Bedouin Hamashah tribe in Rafah. Palestinians have accused the unit, which goes by the titles “The Popular Forces” and “The Anti-Terrorism Unit,” of stealing aid vehicles, working with the Israeli army, and inciting chaos while claiming to be battling Hamas.
The first person to openly reveal Israel’s direct support for the group was Avigdor Lieberman, a former defence minister and current member of the Knesset. Lieberman said that the Netanyahu administration was arming a bunch of criminals and offenders in remarks that Haaretz cited. He warned that these weapons would eventually be used against us, claiming that the Israeli security services had given the organisation assault rifles and light guns.
Who is Yasser Abu Shabab, and what is his background?
There are claims that Yasser Abu Shabab, a prominent Rafah resident, has ties to illegal activity. According to Haaretz, he had previously been imprisoned in Gaza for several offences, including stealing. In an interview with The Washington Post in November 2024, he acknowledged that his crew had stolen aid, but he said they refrained from stealing items intended for children.
Abu Shabab is the leader of a criminal organisation that operates in the Rafah region and is frequently accused of robbing aid vehicles, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). Hamas has been kicked out of several tribal alliances on charges of stealing humanitarian aid and working with Israel. The group reportedly slew his brother during crackdowns on attacks against UN relief convoys.
Why is the militia linked to the Islamic State?
Arabic media have also highlighted the group’s ideological inclinations. Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the Arabic sister publication of The New Arab, claims that the militia changed from a loosely organised criminal gang to a Salafi-jihadist organisation that the Islamic State group influenced. According to the study, Abu Shabab and his men were involved in the trafficking of drugs and weapons, frequently traversing the border between Gaza and the Sinai area of Egypt, which has been home to IS-affiliated militants for many years.
Locals do not distinguish the group’s actions from those of organised criminal syndicates despite its current position as an anti-terror organisation. In May 2025, the group changed its name from the Anti-Terrorism Unit to The Popular Forces, presumably to hide its ties, according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
