Yasser Abu Shabab and his armed group
Ghassan Al Duhine emerges as new leader of Popular Forces following Abu Shabab’s death
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- Ghassan al-Duhine emerges as the likely successor to lead the “Popular Forces” after the death of Yasser Abu Shabab.
- Al-Duhine appeared publicly at Abu Shabab’s funeral under armed protection.
- He vowed open war on Hamas, issuing direct threats in an interview with 'Israel’s' Channel 12.
Ghassan al-Duhine has rapidly stepped into the spotlight as the presumed new leader of the “Popular Forces” militia in southern Gaza, following the death of commander Yasser Abu Shabab in fierce internal clashes in Rafah.
His emergence comes despite having been injured in the same confrontation, which resulted in his brief hospitalization at Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon for what 'Israeli' army radio described as minor wounds.
Al-Duhine made his first public appearance since the violence during Abu Shabab’s funeral on Thursday. Video clips shared by accounts affiliated with the militia showed him moving through the streets of Rafah, flanked by heavily armed guards. The footage appeared aimed at signaling his return and reinforcing his position among the fighters.
His message became even clearer on Friday when he delivered explicit threats against Hamas in an interview with 'Israel’s' Channel 12.
“If the Israeli army withdraws from Gaza, my group will fight Hamas until it is completely eliminated,” he declared, framing his faction as the only force willing to confront the movement directly.
Positioning himself as a continuation of Abu Shabab’s legacy, al-Duhine escalated his rhetoric further: “We will continue fighting with the last of our strength until the last terrorist, young and old, is eliminated. Today, Hamas will see its true face, the face the world should have seen long ago.”
He concluded by brushing off any suggestion that Hamas remained a serious threat to his group, saying his rivals were “too weak to undermine anyone’s morale in the sector.”
Al-Duhine’s statements signal a new and potentially volatile chapter for Gaza’s already fragile internal landscape, with tensions threatening to deepen as he asserts control over the militia’s operations.
