A prominent Palestinian militia leader opposed to Hamas has been killed in the Gaza Strip, according to reports from Israeli military radio on Thursday, 4 December 2025.
The Ambush and Key Figures
Yasser Abu Shabab, the commander of the group known as the Popular Forces, died after being caught in what has been described as a well-planned ambush. The attack, reportedly orchestrated by Palestinian resistance factions, also claimed the lives of a large number of his militia members and a senior commander named Ghassan al Duhine.
Reuters news agency later confirmed that Abu Shabab, considered the most significant anti-Hamas clan leader in Gaza, succumbed to his wounds in a hospital located in southern Israel.
The Popular Forces: Ambitions and Allegiances
The Popular Forces, which originated from a former looting gang, has been positioning itself with Israeli support as a potential future governing authority in Gaza. In October, Hassan Abu Shabab, a relative and childhood friend of the slain leader, revealed that aggressive recruitment had expanded the militia's presence across the territory to approximately 3,000 fighters.
Previous investigations by Sky News uncovered that the group, under Abu Shabab's command, was involved in smuggling vehicles into Gaza. This operation was allegedly conducted with assistance from the Israeli military and an Arab-Israeli car dealer.
A Strategic and Controversial Base
The headquarters of the Popular Forces is situated in a small neighbourhood. Its location is of major strategic importance, as it lies directly along the route used by aid trucks entering Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing. This critical supply corridor has been nicknamed "Looters' Alley" by aid officials due to the militia's activities in the area.
The death of Yasser Abu Shabab represents a significant blow to an emerging faction within Gaza's complex and volatile political landscape. It underscores the ongoing, violent power struggles occurring beyond the wider Israel-Hamas conflict and raises immediate questions about the future of the Israel-backed Popular Forces.
