Khaberni - After the killing of the leader of the "Popular Forces" Yasser Abu Shabab, attention quickly turned to his deputy Ghassan Al-Dhahini, the man who had been seen from the start as the "mastermind" and the actual military arm of the armed formation that emerged in East Rafah over the past months.
Al-Dhahini, aged 39, is not a new name in Rafah or in the records of the security agencies. He is responsible for the military wing of the Abu Shabab group and has the most significant fingerprint in executing what became known as "special operations" against members of the "Hamas" movement, both inside Rafah currently controlled by the Israeli army, and outside it.
Al-Dhahini is from the Tarabin tribe, one of the largest and most widely spread Palestinian Bedouin tribes across borders, the same tribe that Yasser Abu Shabab belongs to. This tribal affiliation has eased his way into engaging in the armed formation since its establishment, granting him social legitimacy in the areas where he is active.
In recent weeks, Al-Dhahini has been notably seen in video clips capturing the moment of arresting members of "Hamas" as they emerged from one of the tunnels in Rafah, before subjecting them to interrogation. He also actively engages on social media platforms, trying to communicate with elites and influencers to justify the actions of his group and respond to accusations directed at it.
Upon the announcement of Abu Shabab's death, Al-Dhahini quickly came out to reassure the supporters of his group. According to the Israeli newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth," he stated: "I am still in Rafah… We held a modest funeral for Yasser". He confirmed in an interview with the Israeli newspaper that the group's operations would continue: "According to my brother Yasser's plan, we will stay exactly where we were — even more determined and strong. We will continue fighting until the last terrorist... and we will restore hope to all Palestinians".
Additionally, Al-Dhahini, who was reported to have been injured in the clash that killed Abu Shabab and was taken to a hospital in Ashkelon for treatment, added: "Today, Hamas will see the real faces that they should have seen long ago. We will show them that we continue, and that we are a source of hope for all the free people, for everyone waiting to see the end of this terrorist gang".
Despite his current military role, Al-Dhahini's record dates back much further than the formation of the "Popular Forces". He was one of the security personnel affiliated with the Palestinian Authority in Gaza before Hamas took control of the region in 2006, and he has been arrested several times by the movement on various charges, including joining a radical group in Gaza known as "Army of Islam".
Hamas has listed Al-Dhahini’s name for years on their most wanted lists, and they have tried to assassinate him twice: the first attempt killed his brother, and he survived the second after a booby-trapped house exploded in East Rafah.
Palestinian media indicates that Ghassan Abdel Aziz Mohammad Al-Dhahini was born on October 3, 1987, in Rafah city. With the death of Abu Shabab, Al-Dhahini has become the most likely candidate to officially take over the leadership of the "Popular Forces", in what could be the most sensitive phase in the history of this armed formation.
