The head of an armed Palestinian faction that opposes Hamas in Gaza died while mediating a family dispute, the group said on Thursday.
Yasser Abu Shabab, a Bedouin tribal leader based in Israeli-held Rafah in southern Gaza, had led the most prominent of several small anti-Hamas groups that emerged in Gaza during the war that began more than two years ago.
His death would be a boost to Hamas, which has branded him a collaborator and ordered its fighters to kill or capture him.
Gaza's Popular Forces said in a statement that its leader died of a gunshot wound as he intervened in a family quarrel, and dismissed as "misleading" reports that Hamas was behind his killing.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged in June that Israel had armed anti-Hamas clans, though Israel has announced few other details of the policy since then.
Abu Shabab's group has continued to operate from areas of Gaza controlled by Israeli forces since Hamas and Israel reached a U.S.-backed ceasefire in October.
Rafah has been the scene of some of the worst violence during the ceasefire. Residents had reported gunbattles there on Wednesday, and Israel said four of its soldiers were wounded.
The Israeli military said on Thursday its forces had killed some 40 Hamas militants trapped in tunnels below Rafah.
On 18 November, Abu Shabab's group posted a video showing dozens of fighters receiving orders from his deputy to launch a security sweep to "clear Rafah of terror", an apparent reference to Hamas fighters believed to be holed up there.
The Popular Forces vowed to continue Abu Shabab's path and to "fight terrorism" in Gaza, the group said.
Abu Shabab's death was first reported by Israeli media including Kan, Israel's public broadcaster, citing a security source.
Israel's Army Radio, also citing a security source, said he had died in Soroka hospital in southern Israel of unspecified wounds, but the hospital denied admitting him.
U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to lead the administration’s latest effort to shape p...
Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face leftist Presi...
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday calle...
The co-pilot of Israel bound flydubai flight attempted to carry out a “terrorist attack” with an axe during the flight, the United Arab Emirates prosecutor general said on Saturday.
Hammam al-Hammami, the Flydubai co-pilot accused of stabbing the captain of an Israel-bound flight on Wednesday in a suspected terrorist attack, was banned from flying by Oman over concerns about his radical views, U.S. media reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned, with Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), appointed as acting oil minister, according to Iranian state media.
Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff of the presidential election later this month, after he exceeded expectations in Sunday's first-round vote with a slight lead over the incumbent.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
More than 1.2 million Afghans have returned to Afghanistan from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan so far in 2026, with more than 500,000 deported, according to data from the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned, with Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), appointed as acting oil minister, according to Iranian state media.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
The world’s space community is heading to Antalya for the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), taking place from 5 to 9 October.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan will travel to Tehran on Sunday (4 October) for talks with Iranian officials, with regional cooperation and Armenia-Iran relations expected to be key topics.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment