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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
From Gaza prisoner to ‘the Israeli agent': how rise of Abu Shabab could ignite new phase of war
On 7 October 2023, Yasser abu Shabab was languishing in a Hamas-run jail in Gaza on charges of drug trafficking. With the outbreak of the conflict, the Palestinian from Rafah managed to leave prison, though the circumstances of his release remain unclear to this day. For a while, Abu Shabab vanished from sight. That changed last week when Israeli defence officials acknowledged they had begun arming a clan that calls itself the Anti-Terror Service. It consists of about 100 armed men who operate in eastern Rafah under the command of Abu Shabab, whose nickname is 'the Israeli agent' and who is described as a 'traitor' on social media in the territory. The officials said the Israel Defense Forces' goal was 'reducing Israeli military casualties' while systematically undermining Hamas. But critics have warned that the Israeli-backed criminal gang could push Gaza to the brink of civil war. Abu Shabab, 32, has emerged as a powerful figure, exerting control over aid routes near the strategically vital Kerem Shalom crossing, while members of his group are accused of looting trucks carrying food, and of having ties to jihadist groups. Last month Jonathan Whittall, the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in occupied Palestinian territories, said: 'Theft of aid since the beginning of the war has been carried out by criminal gangs, under the watch of Israeli forces, and they were allowed to operate in proximity to the Kerem Shalom crossing point into Gaza.' When contacted by the Guardian, Whittall said he was 'referring to gangs such as Abu Shabab'. In a written interview with the Guardian, Abu Shabab blamed Hamas for the war in Gaza, defended himself from the accusations of looting and insisted his clan was providing security to aid trucks passing from the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza. 'My activities are humanitarian and it's for my people only,' Abu Shabab said. 'We are providing security in areas controlled by our national forces and providing support to hundreds of families, with hundreds of people flocking to our areas every day.' Several videos circulating on social media in Gaza from his Facebook profile, verified by the Guardian with his associates, show members of Abu Shabab's group operating alongside Israeli soldiers in IDF-controlled areas in southern Gaza. Asked if his group was acting in coordination with Israeli forces, Abu Shabab said: 'We do not work directly with the Israeli army.' The Times of Israel cited defence sources who said Israel had provided members of Abu Shabab's faction with Kalashnikov assault rifles, including some weapons seized from Hamas. Since Israel eased its blockade on aid to Gaza, dozens of lorries carrying food have been entering the territory each day, crossing through Kerem Shalom and moving towards Rafah, where Abu Shabab has set up a series of checkpoints. A diplomatic official told CNN that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the new US-backed organisation tasked by Israel with distributing supplies in the territory, had contact with Abu Shabab, 'whether directly or indirectly'. Asked if he had a collaboration with the GHF, which is distributing food at three sites in Rafah, Abu Shabab declined to comment. Reached by the Guardian, a spokesperson for GHF said: 'We provide our own security and do not have any local security. Our trucks have never been protected by Abu Shabab or anyone else.' Without providing any evidence supporting his claims, Abu Shabab – whose responses appeared contradictory and were often undermined by his previous statements or by verifiable evidence – blamed Hamas for looting trucks carrying food into Gaza. 'We do not take anything from the aid trucks,' said Abu Shabab, who did not respond to calls or texts but corresponded through an email address provided to international news outlets and confirmed by his associates. 'Aid is stolen in areas controlled by Hamas.' However, in an interview in November 2024 with the New York Times, Abu Shabab admitted that his men had raided half a dozen aid trucks since the start of the war. 'We are taking trucks so we can eat, not so we can sell,' he told the paper, saying he was feeding his family. Coverage of the war in Gaza is constrained by Israeli attacks on Palestinian journalists and a bar on international reporters entering the Gaza Strip to report independently on the war. Israel has not allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza since 7 October 2023, unless they are under Israeli military escort. Reporters who join these trips have no control over where they go, and other restrictions include a bar on speaking to Palestinians in Gaza. Palestinian journalists and media workers inside Gaza have paid a heavy price for their work reporting on the war, with over 180 killed since the conflict began. The committee to protect journalists has determined that at least 19 of them 'were directly targeted by Israeli forces in killings which CPJ classifies as murders'. Foreign reporters based in Israel filed a legal petition seeking access to Gaza, but it was rejected by the supreme court on security grounds. Private lobbying by diplomats and public appeals by prominent journalists and media outlets have been ignored by the Israeli government. To ensure accurate reporting from Gaza given these restrictions, the Guardian works with trusted journalists on the ground; our visual teams verify photo and videos from third parties; and we use clearly sourced data from organisations that have a track record of providing accurate information in Gaza during past conflicts, or during other conflicts or humanitarian crises. Emma Graham-Harrison, chief Middle East correspondent Since Abu Shabab's name began appearing in the media, Hamas has publicly declared it is intent on killing him. Abu Shabab has reasons to loathe Hamas. The militant group killed his brother last year and has already tried to kill Abu Shabab at least twice. 'The war will not end as long as Hamas insists on its position,' Abu Shabab said. On Wednesday the Israeli news channel i24 reported that Israeli soldiers clashed with Hamas members in order to protect Abu Shabab from being killed, which resulted in deaths on both sides. Although the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, did not name Abu Shabab, he has admitted to having 'activated' clans in Gaza that he says oppose Hamas. Netanyahu's comments sparked a row in Israel, with opposition leaders accusing the government of transferring weapons to a group of thugs and criminals 'who identify with [Islamic State]'. Abu Shabab's links with Israeli forces were confirmed by his family, which issued a statement last week formally disowning him. 'We will not accept Yasser's return to the family. We have no objection to those around him liquidating him immediately,' they said. The rise of Abu Shabab as the first openly acknowledged Palestinian collaborator with Israeli forces since the start of the Gaza war could, according to many analysts, ignite a dangerous new phase of the conflict. In addition to clashes with Hamas, his clan may soon face violent confrontations with rival gangs and members of Gaza's popular committees, Israeli media report. They say it is the kind of environment where civil wars often take root – and where civilians, once again, are likely to bear the heaviest cost.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Netanyahu defends arming Palestinian clans accused of ties with jihadist groups
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has admitted arming clans in Gaza that he says are opposed to Hamas, after allegations that members of these criminal gangs looted humanitarian aid and have ties to jihadist groups. The admission came after Israeli media reports quoted defence sources as saying Netanyahu had authorised giving weapons to a clan reportedly led by a man known as Yasser Abu Shabab, a Rafah resident from a Bedouin family, known locally for his involvement in criminal activity. Israel allegedly provided Abu Shabab's group, which calls itself the 'Anti-Terror Service', with Kalashnikov assault rifles, including weapons seized from Hamas. 'On the advice of security officials, we activated clans in Gaza that oppose Hamas. What's wrong with that?' Netanyahu said in a short video he posted on social media. 'It only saves the lives of Israeli solders, and publicising this only benefits Hamas.' Strong criticism of the initiative has come from opposition parties in Israel. In a social media post on X, Yair Golan, the leader of the Democrats in the Knesset, said: 'Netanyahu is a threat to Israel's national security. Instead of bringing about a deal … bringing the hostages home and providing security for Israeli citizens, he is creating a new ticking timebomb in Gaza.' Related: Israel accused of arming Palestinian gang who allegedly looted aid in Gaza Palestinians in Gaza marked the start of Eid al-Adha, one of Islam's most important holidays, on Friday with prayers outside destroyed mosques and homes and food supplies dwindling. Food distribution points run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation reopened on Friday before closing a few hours later. Work at the sites was previously halted this week in response to a series of deadly shootings by Israeli soldiers that on Tuesday killed 27 Palestinians and injured hundreds as they were waiting for food. The UN says more than 2,700 children in Gaza are suffering from acute malnutrition. Israeli jets meanwhile continued to pound the territory and, according to Gaza's civil defence agency, 38 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli military on Friday, including 11 in a single strike in the north. Israel said four soldiers were killed in combat. On Thursday, after the allegations on arming Hamas-opposed clans in Gaza circulated in the media, Netanyahu's office said Israel 'was working to defeat Hamas through various means, based on the recommendations of all the heads of the security establishment'. The former defence minister and opposition lawmaker Avigdor Lieberman alleged that Abu Shabab's group was affiliated with Islamic State. 'The Israeli government is giving weapons to a group of criminals and felons, identified with Islamic State, at the direction of the prime minister,' Lieberman, who heads the opposition Yisrael Beiteinu party, told Kan Bet public radio. The basis for Lieberman's allegation of ties to IS was unclear. Abu Shabab's group has previously been accused of involvement in smuggling operations linked to Egyptian jihadi groups. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Abu Shabab's involvement with Israeli troops was confirmed last week through several videos circulating on social media in Gaza, showing him operating alongside Israeli soldiers in IDF-controlled areas. Last week, Abu Shabab's family issued a statement disowning him, accusing him of collaborating with Israeli forces. 'We, like everyone else, were surprised by video footage broadcast by the resistance showing the involvement of Yasser's groups within a dangerous security framework, reaching the point of operating within undercover units and supporting the Zionist occupation forces, who are brutally killing our people,' the statement said. 'We affirm that we will not accept Yasser's return to the family. We have no objection to those around him liquidating him immediately, and we tell you that his blood is forfeit.' On 28 May, Jonathan Whittall, the head of United Nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in occupied Palestinian territories, said: 'The real theft of aid since the beginning of the war has been carried out by criminal gangs, under the watch of Israeli forces, and they were allowed to operate in proximity to the Kerem Shalom crossing point into Gaza.' When contacted by the Guardian, Whittall confirmed he was 'referring to gangs such as Abu Shabab'. On several posts on Facebook, reported by local media, Abu Shabab denied the allegations of looting, saying he was taking the goods only to feed himself and his family. Coverage of the war in Gaza is constrained by Israeli attacks on Palestinian journalists and a bar on international reporters entering the Gaza Strip to report independently on the war. Israel has not allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza since 7 October 2023, unless they are under Israeli military escort. Reporters who join these trips have no control over where they go, and other restrictions include a bar on speaking to Palestinians in Gaza. Palestinian journalists and media workers inside Gaza have paid a heavy price for their work reporting on the war, with over 180 killed since the conflict began. The committee to protect journalists has determined that at least 19 of them 'were directly targeted by Israeli forces in killings which CPJ classifies as murders'. Foreign reporters based in Israel filed a legal petition seeking access to Gaza, but it was rejected by the supreme court on security grounds. Private lobbying by diplomats and public appeals by prominent journalists and media outlets have been ignored by the Israeli government. To ensure accurate reporting from Gaza given these restrictions, the Guardian works with trusted journalists on the ground; our visual teams verify photo and videos from third parties; and we use clearly sourced data from organisations that have a track record of providing accurate information in Gaza during past conflicts, or during other conflicts or humanitarian crises. Emma Graham-Harrison, chief Middle East correspondent Despite nationwide protests demanding a ceasefire deal and the release of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza after Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack, Netanyahu's coalition remains solid, buoyed up by the steadfast support of far-right parties. That unity may soon be tested, however, after the ultra-Orthodox Shas party in Netanyahu's coalition announced it would support dissolving the Knesset. The Shas party's decision comes after no significant progress in advancing a law in effect exempting ultra-Orthodox citizens from the military draft. Israel has mandatory army service but for decades made an exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews, also known as Haredi, who are allowed to continue full-time Torah study. But an alternative plan seeks to extend the duration of military service for conscripts and raise the age for reservists, while also urging an end to the customary exemptions granted to yeshiva students. Due to the war in Gaza, the IDF is saying yeshiva students must be drafted, as it urgently needs an additional 10,000 combat soldiers and about 3,000 soldiers for other roles. .
