Latest news with #YasserAbuShabab
Middle East Eye
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Who is militia leader Abu Shahab, the man wanted by a court in Gaza?
The Revolutionary Court of the Military Judiciary in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday gave militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab 10 days to surrender himself for trial. In a statement, the court said: "In accordance with the provisions of Palestinian Penal Code No. 16 of 1960 and the Revolutionary Procedures Law of 1979, the accused, Yasser Jihad Mansour Abu Shabab, born on February 27, 1990 a resident of Rafah, has been given ten days from today, Wednesday, to surrender himself to the competent authorities for trial before judicial authorities." Who is Abu Shahab? Abu Shahab, 35, was convicted of drug trafficking and was in a Hamas-run prison on 7 October 2023. He was able to get out of prison, even though the circumstances of his release remain unclear, The Guardian reported in June. Israeli defence officials said they had begun arming Abu Shahab - nicknamed 'the Israeli agent' - and about 100 armed men who operate under him in eastern Rafah. Members of his group have been accused of looting trucks containing humanitarian aid. In June, Jonathan Whittall, the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in occupied Palestinian territories, said the looting was happening under Israeli control: '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.' Whittall told The Guardian that he was referring to militias such as Abu Shahab's. The Guardian also said the officials said the goal of arming Abu Shahab's militia is to reduce Israeli military casualties and undermine Hamas, leading to concerns that the backing of the militia might push Gaza into a civil war.
Al Jazeera
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Hamas-run court gives Gaza gang leader Abu Shabab 10 days to surrender
A Hamas-run court in Gaza has ordered Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of a criminal group allegedly backed by Israel, to surrender himself for trial. The Revolutionary Court of the Military Judiciary Authority in Gaza gave the 35-year-old head of the Popular Forces group, which stands accused of collaborating with Israel to loot humanitarian aid, 10 days to turn himself in. Abu Shabab faces charges of treason, collaborating with hostile entities, forming an armed gang and armed rebellion, the court said on Wednesday, adding that he would be tried in absentia if he fails to surrender. The Popular Forces posted a response on a Facebook page that usually carries its announcements, describing the court's order as a 'sitcom that doesn't frighten us, nor does it frighten any free man who loves his homeland and its dignity'. The group and its leader were thrust into the limelight last month when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government had 'activated' powerful local clans in Gaza on the advice of 'security officials'. Israeli and Palestinian media named the group as the Popular Forces, a well-armed Bedouin clan led by Abu Shabab, reportedly consisting of about 100 armed men. The group later said online that its members were involved in guarding aid shipments sent to distribution centres run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which Israel contracted to distribute aid in the enclave. Mass killings of aid seekers near the US-backed GHF distribution centres, which replaced existing distribution networks run by the United Nations and other experienced aid groups, have become a routine occurrence. The European Council on Foreign Relations think tank has described Abu Shabab as the leader of a 'criminal gang operating in the Rafah area that is widely accused of looting aid trucks'. It said he was thought to have been previously imprisoned by Hamas for drug trafficking. The court urged Palestinians to inform Hamas security officials about the whereabouts of Abu Shabab, who has so far remained beyond their reach in the Rafah area of southern Gaza held by Israeli troops. It said anyone who knows of Abu Shabab's location and fails to report him would be considered to have concealed a fugitive from justice.
LBCI
8 hours ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Hamas orders Gaza clan leader to surrender, accuses him of treason
The interior ministry in Gaza on Wednesday ordered the leader of a well-armed Bedouin clan defying the group's control of the Palestinian enclave to surrender and face trial, accusing him of treason. A ministry statement said the decision was taken by what it called a "Revolutionary Court." Yasser Abu Shabab, who does not recognize the authority of Hamas and accuses the militants of hurting the interests of Gaza, had 10 days to surrender, it said. The court urged Palestinians to inform Hamas security officials about the whereabouts of Abu Shabab, who has so far remained beyond their reach in the Rafah area of southern Gaza held by Israeli troops. The Abu Shabab group described the Hamas court's order as a "sitcom that doesn't frighten us, nor does it frighten any free man who loves his homeland and its dignity" in a post on the Facebook page that usually carried the group's announcements. Hamas, which accuses Abu Shabab of looting U.N. aid trucks and alleges that he is backed by Israel, has sent some of its top fighters to kill him, two Hamas sources and two other sources familiar with the situation told Reuters last month. Abu Shabab's group told Reuters at the time that it was a popular force protecting humanitarian aid from looting by escorting aid trucks and denied getting support from Israel or contacts with the Israeli army. It accused Hamas of violence and muzzling dissent. Israel has said it has backed some of Gaza's clans against Hamas but has not said which. Reuters
Malay Mail
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Hamas orders Gaza clan leader to surrender for treason, group calls ruling a ‘sitcom'
CAIRO, July 2 — The Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza today ordered the leader of a well-armed Bedouin clan defying the group's control of the Palestinian enclave to surrender and face trial, accusing him of treason. A ministry statement said the decision was taken by what it called a 'Revolutionary Court'. Yasser Abu Shabab, who does not recognise the authority of Hamas and accuses the militants of hurting the interests of Gaza, had 10 days to surrender, it said. The court urged Palestinians to inform Hamas security officials about the whereabouts of Abu Shabab, who has so far remained beyond their reach in the Rafah area of southern Gaza held by Israeli troops. The Abu Shabab group described the Hamas court's order as a 'sitcom that doesn't frighten us, nor does it frighten any free man who loves his homeland and its dignity', in a post on the Facebook page that usually carried the group's announcements. Hamas, which accuses Abu Shabab of looting UN aid trucks and alleges that he is backed by Israel, has sent some of its top fighters to kill him, two Hamas sources and two other sources familiar with the situation told Reuters last month. Abu Shabab's group told Reuters at the time that it was a popular force protecting humanitarian aid from looting by escorting aid trucks and denied getting support from Israel or contacts with the Israeli army. It accused Hamas of violence and muzzling dissent. Israel has said it has backed some of Gaza's clans against Hamas, but has not said which. — Reuters
Arab News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Hamas orders rival armed group leader to surrender
GAZA CITY: Authorities in Hamas-ruled Gaza declared treason charges Wednesday against the leader of a rival armed group accused of working with Israel during its Gaza offensive, ordering him to turn himself in. Yasser Abu Shabab, aged 35 according to Hamas's summons issued on Wednesday, is suspected of heading the Popular Forces group in southern Gaza. Palestinian media say the group operates in the east of the southern city of Rafah in an area controlled by Israeli forces as they battle Hamas in the territory. The "military judiciary authority" of the government in the Hamas-ruled territory ordered him "to surrender himself to the competent authorities for trial before the judicial bodies". It said in a statement that its "revolutionary court" had "given Yasser Abu Shabab 10 days to turn himself in for trial on charges of treason, collaborating with hostile entities, forming an armed gang, and armed rebellion". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted last month that Israel was supporting an armed group in Gaza that opposes Hamas, without naming it. Israeli and Palestinian media named the group as the Popular Forces, led by Abu Shabab. The European Council on Foreign Relations think tank described Abu Shabab as the leader of a "criminal gang operating in the Rafah area that is widely accused of looting aid trucks". It said he was thought to have been previously imprisoned by Hamas for drug-trafficking. The Popular Forces said in a statement on Sunday that they had raided a site where they said Hamas was storing food aid meant for civilians. Hamas has accused the Popular Forces of collaborating with Israel to loot humanitarian aid.
