At least 50 fighters of a Palestinian gang armed by Israel in Gaza have been killed by Hamas in the recent months.
Clashes between Hamas fighters and members of the militia led by Yasser abu Shabab, erupted early on Tuesday in Rafah.
The Guardian citing an Israeli news channel, i24 reported that Israeli soldiers had clashed with Hamas members in order to protect Abu Shabab from being killed, which resulted in deaths on both sides.
Last week Israeli defence officials had acknowledged arming the militia with the aim of undermining Hamas.
The Guardian quoting aid workers said that the group had a long history of looting from UN trucks.
On Tuesday, in a long statement released to the press, Abu Shabab’s militia, named the Anti-Terror Service or Popular Forces, said: “Hamas has killed over 50 of our volunteers, including relatives of our leader, Yasser, as we guarded aid convoys and redistributed supplies that were otherwise destined for corrupt entities linked to Hamas.
‘‘We’ve also cleared explosive remnants from the area – losing members in the process.”
On 7 October 2023, during Hamas’s attack in Israel that ignited the war, Abu Shabab was languishing in a Hamas-run jail in Gaza on charges of drug trafficking. With the outbreak of the conflict, the Palestinian from Rafah managed to leave prison, though the circumstances of his release remain unclear, The Guardian report said.
His Israeli-armed gang now consists of more than 100 men who operate in eastern Rafah.
Abu Shabab has been nicknamed “the Israeli agent” and described as a traitor on social media in Gaza. Hamas has publicly declared its intent to kill him.
Israeli analysts have warned that the move by Israel to arm Abu Shabab could push Gaza to the brink of a civil war.