Report: ‘Israeli’ army “abandons” anti-Hamas figure Yasser Abu Shabab in Gaza

Reports suggest that the ‘Israeli’ army has abandoned Yasser Abu Shabab and his group in the Gaza Strip.

Abu Shabab, along with other groups under his umbrella, are commonly dubbed as “collaborators” – Palestinians who work and coordinate with ‘Israel’.

Abu Shabab is the leader of what is known in Gaza as “Popular Forces”, an armed anti-Hamas group in the Strip.

He emerged as a local opposition figure to Hamas during the war on Gaza. In May 2024, his group began looting aid trucks, claiming he was providing security for humanitarian aid convoys entering Gaza during the Rafah offensive.

‘Israel’ began providing Abu Shabab's group with weapons and equipment in 2025.

The reports indicate that the decision was made after his operational role was “fulfilled”.

According to the reports, Abu Shabab recently disappeared. The reports suggest that this disappearance coincided with a decision by the ‘Israeli’ army to halt the support and protection it had been providing him and his group inside Gaza, leaving them with an unknown fate.