Yasser Abu Shabaab, who was imprisoned in Gaza for 8 years for drug smuggling, escaped from prison in 2023 using Israeli bombing and formed an armed group called the "Popular Forces" against Hamas last year.
Immediately after the group was formed, it launched attacks on humanitarian convoys in the Gaza city of Rafah and prevented aid from reaching the refugee camp. Hamas issued a death warrant for him and killed several of his men.
Hamas, citing a number of images and information, stated that Yasser and his group received direct support from the Israeli army and even escorted IDF convoys.
In June of this year, the name of the group began to be better known. As such, Yasser declared that he was the legitimate representative of the Palestinian state in Gaza, a statement that the Palestinian Authority denied. Later, Benjamin Netanyahu officially announced for the first time that the Israeli army supported Yasser Abu Shabab's group, which Yasser immediately denied. Despite this, Israeli officials announced that the "Popular Forces" group was established by the Israeli army as an alternative to Hamas. The Israeli opposition claims that Yasser has ties to ISIS and even fights for ISIS in the Sinai Peninsula.
Abu Shabab's 300-400-strong group is equipped with armored vehicles and ammunition by Israel and the UAE. The group is also supported by the Tarabin, Abu Zayed and Al-Nuseirat, which are considered the largest tribes in Gaza.
Yasser Abu Shabab stated in one of his speeches that the sole goal of the "Popular Forces" group is to completely cleanse Hamas from the Gaza Strip.
