Khaberni - Yasser Abu Shabab is a Palestinian born in 1990 in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. He belongs to the Tarabin tribe, was detained before October 7, 2023, on criminal charges, and was released after Israel bombed the security forces' headquarters. His name came to prominence after the Al-Qassam Brigades targeted a force of "undercover agents" east of Rafah, which turned out to include a group of collaborators recruited by the occupation and directly linked to what the resistance described as "Yasser Abu Shabab's gang".
Birth and upbringing
Yasser Abu Shabab was born in February 1990 in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. His family descends from the Tarabin tribe, one of the largest Arab tribes in southern Palestine, originally from the Quraysh tribe. This tribe settled in Palestine, Egypt, and Jordan following the Islamic conquests, and its members are densely concentrated in the Gaza Strip.
Before the Al-Aqsa Flood operation launched by the Palestinian resistance against the Gaza envelope settlements at dawn on October 7, 2023, Yasser Abu Shabab was detained by the security forces in Gaza on criminal charges, but he was released after the Israeli occupation bombed the security headquarters.
Accused of collaborating with Israel
Yasser Abu Shabab's name emerged in the security scene after the Al-Qassam Brigades—the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)—broadcasted on May 30, 2025, scenes documenting their targeting of a force of "undercover agents" belonging to the Israeli army east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
The video clips showed the movement of the force near the eastern borders, raiding several Palestinian homes before the Qassam fighters detonated one of the rigged houses while the force was inside, resulting in the death and injury of several of its members.
Following the operation, a security source in the Palestinian resistance told Al Jazeera that the targeted force consisted of a group of collaborators recruited for the benefit of the occupation, tasked with combing border areas and monitoring resistance movements, in addition to looting humanitarian aid.
The source noted that this group is directly attached to what he described as "Yasser Abu Shabab's gang," which coordinates operationally with the occupation forces inside Rafah.
Forming a suspicious force
Yasser Abu Shabab formed a special force in Rafah, which is under full control of the Israeli forces, allegedly to secure the entry of humanitarian aid to some areas of the Gaza Strip, before Israel completely closed the crossings and prevented the flow of aid to the sector.
According to Palestinian media estimates, the number of elements of this force ranges between 100 and 300 members, who are stationed just tens of meters away from the Israeli military positions and move with their weapons under direct Israeli supervision.
Abu Shabab and his force are stationed east of Rafah, near the Kerem Shalom crossing, the only crossing through which the occupation allows aid to pass to Gaza. A second force affiliated with Abu Shabab is positioned west of Rafah, near a humanitarian aid distribution point known as the American-Israeli mechanism for distributing humanitarian relief.
Initially, this group named itself "Counter-Terrorism Agency," but later appeared on May 10, 2025, under the name "Popular Forces."
Yasser Abu Shabab's name was mentioned in an internal memo issued by the United Nations, referred to by the American newspaper Washington Post, as leading the main party responsible for carrying out systematic and large-scale looting of humanitarian aid entering the sector.
Tribal disavowal
Yasser Abu Shabab sought to exploit his tribal affiliation to secure social cover for his activities, but his attempts failed after tribal elders irrevocably disavowed him, affirming that the tribe, which had provided many of its members as martyrs in the ranks of the Palestinian resistance, could not harbor someone who infringes on people's rights or cooperates with the occupation.
On the evening of Friday, May 30, 2025, the "Abu Shabab" family in the Gaza Strip declared their complete disavowal of their son Yasser Abu Shabab, after confirming his involvement in dangerous security activities serving the Israeli occupation.
The family's statement, issued by its leaders, stated that they had supported Yasser based on his claim to be working in securing humanitarian aid, but reliable information revealed his involvement in dubious practices. After confronting him, he tried to exonerate himself by showing video clips, but documented recordings from the resistance showed his involvement with "undercover agents" formations and providing direct support to the occupation.
The statement affirmed the family's disavowal of Yasser and all who cooperate with him, promising to pursue and hold him accountable, considering his "blood to be forfeit" unless he surrenders himself and declares his repentance.
Assassination
On December 4, 2025, the Israeli Army Radio announced the death of Yasser Abu Shabab by unknown gunmen in the Gaza Strip.
