Hamas orders Gaza clan leader 'Yasser Abu Shabab' to surrender, accuses him of treason

Gaza’s Revolutionary Court has issued a 10-day deadline for a man accused of serious national security offenses to turn himself in, warning that failure to do so will result in a trial in absentia.

The court identified the suspect as Yasser Jihad Mansour Abu Shabab, born February 27, 1990, and residing in Rafah. In a formal statement released Wednesday, the court announced that Abu Shabab faces the following charges:

• Treason and collaboration with hostile entities, in violation of Article 131
• Forming an armed gang, under Article 176
• Armed insurrection, as per Article 168

The ruling stated that the accused has until July 12, 2025, to surrender to the competent authorities for prosecution. If he fails to comply, he will be declared a fugitive and tried in absentia, the court stated.

Authorities also warned that anyone found harboring or concealing Abu Shabab would be considered complicit in aiding a fugitive and subject to legal consequences.

Shortly after the court’s announcement, a statement was released by Abu Shabab's supporters in a post on the Facebook page that usually carried the group's announcements, denouncing the charges as politically motivated and rejecting the authority of Hamas' judiciary. 

“Brother Yasser Abu Shabab is safe and will return soon with major national projects aimed at justice, dignity, and service to our people,” the statement said.

It dismissed the court as a “theatrical farce issuing orders from hideouts in hospitals and schools,” accusing Hamas of using the judiciary to suppress dissent.

“These illegitimate courts are tools of repression with no popular legitimacy,” the statement continued. “They should prosecute those responsible for dragging our people into the catastrophe of October 7, leading to famine and the attempted erasure of our cause.”

The message also called on Hamas to hold its own members accountable for corruption and abuses since its 2007 takeover of Gaza, pointing to exploitative financial practices, mismanagement of aid, and sheltering of armed gangs.

Hamas has not responded publicly to the statement.

Broader controversy: Alleged coordination with ‘Israel’

The charges come amid heightened controversy following a rare public admission by ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who previously claimed that ‘Israel’ has “activated” certain Palestinian clans in Gaza to counter Hamas. While Netanyahu offered few details, an ‘Israeli’ official later confirmed the move was directed at supporting the Popular Forces, the very group led by Abu Shabab.

According to reports, the Popular Forces have been active in ‘Israeli’-controlled zones of Rafah, helping secure food convoys run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a body tied to the ongoing humanitarian aid efforts in southern Gaza. However, the group has also been accused by aid workers and Palestinian officials of attacking and looting those very shipments.

Nahed Sheheiber, head of Gaza’s private transport union, previously accused Abu Shabab’s supporters of repeated attacks on aid trucks. “The ones who looted aid are now the ones protecting it,” he said.

As a response to these allegations, the Abu Shabab family itself has previously disavowed Yasser Abu Shabab, saying he and his followers no longer represent them and denouncing his alleged ties with the ‘Israeli’ military.