Latest news with #anti-Hamas
Express Tribune
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
David Draiman booed during supergroup set at Ozzy Osbourne's 'Back to the Beginning' Birmingham finale
David Draiman, frontman of Disturbed, was met with boos during his appearance at Ozzy Osbourne's Back to the Beginning farewell concert on Saturday night in Birmingham. Performing in a star-studded supergroup covering 'Sweet Leaf,' Draiman shared the stage with Jake E. Lee, Adam Wakeman, Mike Bordin, David Ellefson, Scott Ian, and Nuno Bettencourt. The jeers, captured in a widely circulated TikTok video, erupted as Draiman addressed the crowd, saying, 'We gonna start this?' According to Variety, the backlash is linked to his outspoken support for Israel amid the war on Hamas. Draiman, who spent part of his youth in Israel, has publicly endorsed IDF actions, including a controversial post showing him signing artillery shells with anti-Hamas messages. Despite the frosty reception, the overall concert drew over 42,000 fans to Villa Park, with legendary acts paying tribute to Osbourne and Black Sabbath by performing classic covers. Hosted by Jason Momoa, the event served as a grand finale for Osbourne's career, culminating in an emotional reunion with all original Sabbath members. Draiman's performance contrasted with the overwhelming support for Osbourne, who received deafening cheers during his set and thanked fans for their decades of loyalty.
Middle East Eye
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Palestinian man denies leading new Gaza gang following Israeli report
A Palestinian man has denied leading a new anti-Hamas militia in Gaza after being named as its leader in an Israeli media report. Ynet news outlet reported on Wednesday that Israel was arming and funding two new criminal gangs in the Gaza Strip, in the latest push to sow chaos and lawlessness. The report said the two armed groups were operating in Khan Younis and Gaza City and are affiliated with the Palestinian Authority (PA), a political rival of Hamas. It said they follow in the footsteps of the gang led by Yasser Abu Shabab - a former criminal prisoner-turned-militia leader - who has coordinated with Israeli forces in Rafah to loot humanitarian aid and shoot at Palestinians. In addition to receiving arms and support from Israel, members of the two new gangs were reportedly on the PA's payroll, according to Ynet. Read more: Palestinian man denies leading new Gaza gang following Israeli report Israeli troops deploy at a position on Israel's boundary with the Gaza Strip, on 1 July 2025 (Jack Guez/AFP)
Middle East Eye
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israel backs two new armed gangs in Gaza
Israel is arming and funding two new criminal gangs in the Gaza Strip in what appears to be a deliberate effort to sow chaos and lawlessness, according to a new report by Ynet news outlet. The two armed groups are said to be operating in Khan Younis and Gaza City and are affiliated with the Palestinian Authority (PA), a political rival of Hamas. They follow in the footsteps of the gang led by Yasser Abu Shabab - a former criminal prisoner-turned-militia leader - who has coordinated with Israeli forces in Rafah to loot humanitarian aid and shoot at Palestinians. In addition to receiving arms and support from Israel, members of the two new gangs are allegedly on the payroll of the PA, due to their affiliations with Fatah, the movement that dominates the PA. One of the groups is reportedly led by Rami Khalas, a Fatah member from Gaza. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The gang operates in the Shujaiya neighbourhood of Gaza City and is said to belong to the Khalas clan, one of the largest families in the Gaza Strip, with most of its members residing in eastern Gaza. According to Ynet, Rami Khalas lives in the Tel al-Hawa area in southwestern Gaza City. 'He and his men have a lot of weapons and, according to sources, receive cover and protection from the IDF,' the report said, referring to the Israeli military. The second gang, operating in Khan Younis, is reportedly headed by Yasser Khanidak, another local Fatah member who reportedly opposes Hamas rule in the territory. Like the Khalas group, Khanidak's men are said to receive Israeli weapons and financial backing from the PA. "As Israel identifies opportunities to operate local anti-Hamas forces, it may continue to deepen such cooperation," said the report of the possibility that Israel would further expand cooperation with gangs in Gaza. 'What's wrong with that?' Last month, it was revealed that Israel had armed and financed the Abu Shabab gang, in what appeared to be an Israeli strategy to foster instability in the besieged Gaza Strip. Hamas on Wednesday issued a 10-day ultimatum to Yasser Abu Shabab, the gang's leader, demanding he surrender to authorities in Gaza. Hamas has accused Abu Shabab of treason, collaboration with hostile entities, forming an armed militia, and inciting armed rebellion. 'Popular Forces': Who are the Gaza gangsters being armed by Israel? Read More » Following public exposure of Israel's links to the gang, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the move. 'We made use of clans in Gaza that are opposed to Hamas... What's wrong with that?' he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). 'It's only good. It saves the lives of Israeli soldiers.' The Abu Shabab gang has also been linked to the widely criticised aid scheme operated by the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which began limited food distribution in May. Since then, Israeli forces have killed at least 600 Palestinians and wounded over 4,000 wounded at or near GHF aid points, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Last week, Haaretz reported that Israeli military officials admitted firing on unarmed civilians queuing for aid, even when no threat was present. Soldiers said they had been instructed to shoot at crowds near distribution sites and confirmed that civilians had been killed due to "inaccurate and uncalculated" artillery fire. On Wednesday, the PA revealed that US security contractors working with the GHF also fired live rounds and stun grenades at hungry Palestinians attempting to collect aid.
Middle East Eye
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
‘Popular Forces': Who are the Gaza gangsters being armed by Israel?
In a small area of land in Rafah, a new group has emerged from the shadows of Israel's war on the Palestinian enclave. Led by drug smugglers, aid looters and militants linked to groups across the border in Egypt, Popular Forces, as they call themselves, have been exercising their power in southern Gaza, under gang leader and former prisoner Yasser Abu Shabab. Last month, the group created a new Facebook page, with slick videos and a new logo. The marketing drive coincided with Israel admitting to arming Abu Shabab's gang, in what appears to be an attempt to sow chaos and embolden anti-Hamas elements in Gaza. Middle East Eye takes a look at Abu Shabab, his associates, and why Israel has chosen to lend its support. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Who is Yasser Abu Shabab? Yasser Abu Shabab, born in eastern Rafah in the early 1990s, hails from the influential Tarabin Bedouin tribe, which stretches across the Sinai, Gaza and southern Israel. He dropped out of school at an early age, building a reputation for trafficking cigarettes, hashish and psychoactive drugs through tunnels and crossings into Gaza. Family members say he smuggled items from Egypt and Israel. In 2015, Hamas detained Abu Shabab on drug trafficking charges and eventually sentenced him to 25 years in prison. But in October 2023, during the early days of the war on Gaza, Abu Shabab escaped the Asda prison in western Khan Younis, amid Israeli bombardment. The circumstances around his escape remain murky. What have his gang been doing during the war? Following their escape, Abu Shabab and his allies assembled a few hundred men and called themselves the Popular Forces in Arabic. The group exerts control over an area of southern Gaza near the Kerem Shalom crossing, which connects Gaza, Israel and Egypt. Abu Shabab has said he leads 'a group of citizens from this community who have volunteered to protect humanitarian aid from looting and corruption'. On Facebook, the group describes itself as "a voice of truth against terrorism for a safe homeland for all". 'Their utility lies in their ability to destabilise Hamas from within' – Andreas Krieg, security expert A leaked UN memo described their base as a 'military-like compound' in a zone 'restricted, controlled and patrolled' by Israeli forces. According to Muhammad Shehada, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, Abu Shabab's gang is engaged in several activities. These include, he writes, looting UN aid and selling some of it on the black market; carrying out reconnaissance missions on behalf of Israeli authorities; and acting as a proxy militia for Israel in areas that it has depopulated. It has also been accused of cooperating with the controversial Israel and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). An unnamed diplomatic official told CNN that the GHF, whether directly or indirectly, had contact with Abu Shabab. The scandal-ridden GHF has denied any involvement. 'We do have local Palestinian workers we are very proud of, but none is armed and they do not belong to Abu Shabab's organisation,' it said. In November, Abu Shabab admitted that his men had raided a few trucks. 'We are taking trucks so we can eat, not so we can sell,' he said. 'Every hungry person is taking aid.' Several truck drivers have accused Abu Shabab's forces of intercepting aid deliveries and forcing them to unload goods. There were reports in early May that Israeli forces attacked shop owners and police officers who were attempting to protect shops from looting and chaos caused by the gangsters. Asaad al-Kafarna, a police officer in Gaza, was killed by Israeli forces near a restaurant on 2 May after pursuing gangsters accused of looting and collaborating with Israel's military. How are the gang linked to Islamic State? Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli opposition politician, recently said that Abu Shabab and his forces were connected to the Islamic State group, or Isis (IS). Andreas Krieg, an academic at King's College London and an expert on security, told MEE: "While some individuals from the tribe have been involved in smuggling and, in some cases, collaborated with Sinai-based Isis affiliates, the tribe itself is not ideologically aligned with jihadist groups. 'In fact, many Tarabin members in Sinai have fought against Isis alongside the Egyptian military.' Key figures in Abu Shabab's groups have longstanding links with militant groups. One of them, Issam al-Nabahin, joined the Sinai chapter of IS in the mid-2010s. A damaged building in northern Sinai, Egypt in January 2015, where at least 30 soldiers and police officers were killed by Islamic State-allied groups (Reuters) According to media reports, he was part of a group of Palestinians who fought in the insurgency against Egypt's army, and were involved in the killing of civilians. Hamas and Egypt cooperated to arrest and kill the militants, but Nabahin evaded capture. Nabahin re-emerged in 2023, when Hamas arrested him and sentenced him to death. But he escaped before his execution and has since resurfaced as part of Abu Shabab's forces. Another senior figure in the Popular Forces is Ghassan al-Dahini. He was formerly an official in the Army of Islam, a Palestinian group allied with IS in Sinai. He reportedly managed smuggling and communications between the Army of Islam and militant groups in Sinai. Dahini has been arrested at least twice by Hamas police in Gaza. During one arrest attempt, he killed a Palestinian policeman. He, like Nabahin and Abu Shabab, escaped imprisonment following the outbreak of Israel's war. He now serves as the deputy of the Popular Forces. Why is Israel arming these gangsters? Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has admitted to arming Abu Shabab's gang. '"We made use of clans in Gaza that are opposed to Hamas… What's wrong with that?' he said in a post on X last week. "It's only good. It saves the lives of Israeli soldiers." The gangs have been armed with Kalashnikovs and pistols that were taken by Israeli forces from Hamas and Hezbollah, according to Maariv. Israel's Shin Bet security service, Maariv reported, suggested that even if Abu Shabab were to turn around and point the weapons towards Israel, the effect would be negligible. Krieg said that it was a 'calculated strategy' to reduce Israel's military and administrative burden in Gaza by 'cultivating local surrogate actors'. 'By leveraging tribal networks and local knowledge, groups like the Popular Forces enable Israel to exert indirect control while avoiding the reputational and operational costs of reoccupation,' he said. What has been the impact on Hamas? Krieg said that the presence of the Popular Front forces Hamas to fight on multiple fronts, undermining its monopoly on coercive power. 'Although the Popular Forces lack popular legitimacy and are widely seen as criminal collaborators, their utility lies in their ability to destabilise Hamas from within,' said Krieg. Israeli troops in Rafah, southern Gaza, in October 2024 (Israeli Army handout/AFP) Hamas has killed at least 50 members of Abu Shabab's forces, the group said earlier this week. Ynet reported that Abu Shabab's militia had killed six members of Hamas' 'Arrow' unit, which is responsible for targeting collaborators with Israel. Israeli media also reported that an Israeli drone strike targeted Hamas fighters while they were clashing with members of Abu Shabab's militia. Do the Popular Forces have support beyond Israel? It is not immediately clear if the gang has other external backers. Since May, the group has created social media accounts and posted professionally produced propaganda videos, which may have been made with outside help. Israel cuts Gaza internet as dozens more aid seekers killed Read More » 'While direct evidence of regional sponsorship is lacking, there are suggestive indicators,' said Krieg. One of Abu Shabab's militiamen was recently pictured driving a vehicle with an Emirati number plate, 'an unusual and conspicuous detail in the context of besieged Gaza,' according to Krieg. 'This, combined with his group's anti-Hamas posture, has fuelled speculation that actors aligned with the UAE, which has a well-documented history of supporting anti-Islamist surrogates in Libya, Yemen and Sudan, may be involved indirectly,' he said. There is no direct evidence of UAE backing. A Palestinian official told i24news that an adviser to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was directly communicating with the gang. Abu Shabab's gang has said that it is working under the umbrella of 'Palestinian legitimacy', a phrase often used by leaders of Fatah, who are longstanding rivals of Hamas. PA spokesperson Anwar Rajab has denied any connection between the PA and Abu Shabab. Will the Popular Front have a post-war role? As things stand, it appears unlikely that the Popular Forces will play any serious long-term role in Gaza after the war. Military sources told Maariv that Israeli support was only part of a short-term tactical move. 'These gangs cannot be a substitute for a long-term strategic plan. As an alternative to Hamas, a move must be built with countries in the region that will build a governing structure that will replace Hamas," one source said. 'Israel has a long track record of inadvertently creating surrogate Frankenstein monsters' – Andreas Krieg, security expert According to Krieg, the militia is too small, criminally tainted and politically toxic to serve as a viable governing force. 'Their limited size and lack of legitimacy among Palestinians, compounded by their open collaboration with Israeli forces, render them structurally incapable of administering territory or managing civil affairs in a sustainable way,' he said. Krieg added that Israel had no incentive to formalise relations with a group whose existence could disrupt broader diplomatic efforts with Arab states. 'But Israel has a long track record of inadvertently creating surrogate Frankenstein monsters in the short-term that then develop lives of their own.'
Morocco World
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Israel Is Using Criminal Militias to Collapse Gaza from Within
Rabat – Just when it seems that the situation in Gaza couldn't grow more horrific—with over 55,000 people killed, tens of thousands still buried beneath rubble, and hundreds of thousands injured without access to basic medical care—a new threat has emerged from within. Amid the carnage, a criminal gang has surfaced, openly collaborating with the Israeli occupation under the pretense of fighting Hamas. The gang, organized by the 'Popular Forces' is led by Yasser Abu Shabab, a Palestinian from Gaza who has been anti-Hamas with a militia backed by the occupation. The gang has now stepped out of the shadows, attempting to portray itself as a victim as it claims Hamas killed at least 50 of its members. The Israel-affiliated militia says its 'volunteers' were targeted while 'guarding aid convoys and redistributing supplies that were otherwise destined for corrupt entities linked to Hamas.' However, these allegations are contradicted by Israeli media reports this week, which revealed that members of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) intervened in clashes between Hamas fighters and the militia in order to protect Abu Shabab. Israeli media also confirmed that an Israeli drone strike targeted Hamas fighters mid-battle—marking the first known Israeli strike in Gaza conducted solely to support the Abu Shabab gang. The militia is also said to have killed six members of Hamas' 'Arrow' unit, a specialized group responsible for identifying Palestinian collaborators with Israel. Wide speculation about Israel's involvement with the ISIS-affiliated gang dates back to late May, when Abu Shabab was spotted in Gaza during the launch of the US-and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Quds News Network reported that Abu Shabab has resurfaced in Gaza under the guise of 'securing aid,' wearing security uniforms and claiming to protect humanitarian deliveries—while in reality looting the aid and reselling it at extortionate prices. Although these gangs have received more attention recently, Palestinian media report that they have been operating since at least 2024, primarily based in Rafah. They reportedly set up staging areas near IOF positions and aid distribution sites, giving them immediate access to incoming supplies. These claims are supported by a report from Israeli outlet i24NEWS, which quoted an Israeli source saying that the entity has been transferring weapons to armed groups in Gaza for the past two years. Netanyahu's forces A convicted drug trafficker, Abu Shabab is believed to be running a criminal network stretching from Gaza to the Sinai, where Islamic State groups control the smuggling routes. Now 35, Abu Shabab was serving a long prison sentence for possession of large quantities of drugs before escaping amid the chaos of Israel's assault on Gaza in October 2023. A Gaza-based security officer told The New Arab that Abu Shabab's rise to power as a gang leader was baffling, describing him as a 'weak, short, uncharismatic, illiterate' man with no military background. The so-called Popular Forces have effectively become subcontractors for the Israeli genocide in Gaza, reportedly handling reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering missions for the Israeli occupation forces. The militia is believed to comprise between 100 and 300 members, including former Palestinian security officer Ghassan al-Dahini, now Abu Shabab's right-hand man. Al-Dahini recently shared a video of himself firing a Kalashnikov, though public outrage focused more on the license plate of his car, which bore the name of the UAE's Sharjah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly admitted to arming local clans to counter Hamas—an admission that confirms their role as an extension of the IOF). His statement came just hours after former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman revealed that the Israeli-backed gang is affiliated with ISIS. Looted aid and extortionist prices Gaza residents have confirmed that these armed gangs are looting aid under the protection of the IOF. 'The aid comes down at specific times, and we have specific times to go. Most of the time, we go [to the aid point] and find nothing,' said one witness on social media. 'Why? Because there are gangs, groups, and families with weapons who attack the aid right in front of everyone, take it by force, and no one is allowed to get close,' the witness continued. The stolen aid is then sold at extortionate prices. The prices are nothing short of psychological torture for a people that Israel has been starving systematically: a bag of flour has reached $500, a kilo of meat $150, a kilo of sugar $80, a kilo of onions $70, and a liter of oil $40. 'I've reached a point where every time I see someone selling aid on the street, I just walk away,' said the witness about the prices that are impossible to afford unless one has a constant stream of donations. While Palestinians have long spoken about the soaring prices of what should be humanitarian aid, none have publicly addressed the gangs responsible—likely out of fear. That some are now speaking out may indicate just how desperate the situation has become. 'If anyone dares to speak up, if anyone knows who these gangs are, they kill them. This is what's happening,' said the source. Execution testimony Palestinian poet and genocide survivor Mosab Abu Toha recently shared on social media the testimony of a journalist in Rafah, who remained anonymous for safety reasons. According to the journalist, on June 9, people rushed to a distribution site in Rafah after hearing gunfire, assuming aid had arrived. About two miles from the site, they encountered gunmen who ordered them to queue up—100 at a time—before being allowed in. After hours of waiting, the gunmen began executing people before driving away. Abu Toha noted that these men spoke in a fluent Palestinian dialect, helping them gain the trust of locals. He emphasized that after gunning down desperate aid-seekers, they headed toward Rafah—where both the GHF aid site and the IOF were stationed. While pacifying its Western with the illusion of humanitarian aid through GHF— condemned by the United Nations as a 'death trap' within days of its launch–Israel advances its expansionist agenda by forcibly concentrating Palestinians into the South of Gaza. Its reliance on criminal militias to counter Hamas, sow disorder and obstruct aid delivery is not only a reflection of Israel's moral decay, but also an admittance of its failure to dismantle the resistance 20 months into its rabid genocide.
