Dozens of Israeli-backed gang members surrender to Hamas after chief Abu Shabab’s death

Dozens of armed members of Israeli-backed gangs have surrendered to the Hamas resistance movement’s security forces across the Gaza Strip in recent days.

Palestinian news outlets and the Israeli broadcasting authority reported the development on Sunday.

The wave of handovers gained momentum following the death last week of Yasser Abu Shabab.

Abu Shabab used to head the so-called Popular Forces militia in Gaza. He had earned notoriety as one of the most dedicated collaborators with the Israeli regime inside the coastal sliver, colluding with Tel Aviv at the height of the latter’s war of genocide on the territory.

According to the reports, the majority of recent surrenders have taken place in Rafah and Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, areas that would serve as operational hubs for several militia networks working directly with Israeli forces during the war.

The surge followed a 10-day deadline announced by Hamas on Friday, urging anyone affiliated with these groups to turn themselves in and hand over their weapons.

Gaza’s interior ministry said it would expedite the processing of those who surrendered, while stressing that “the occupation’s umbrella of protection for traitors will not last long.”

The ministry said the Israeli-supported cells “remained isolated, without popular or societal support, until they met their fate,” adding that Israeli efforts to fracture Gaza’s internal unity had failed.

Abu Shabab was reported to have been shot dead on Wednesday by unidentified gunmen in Rafah. His death marked the most significant blow to Israel-linked militia networks since the regime launched the war in October 2023.

He used to lead his militia as it would loot aid, kidnap civilians, target resistance fighters, and coordinate operations with the Israeli military.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously acknowledged that the gang had been armed by the regime.

Hamas and other Palestinian bodies had established links between the group and both Israeli intelligence activity and elements aligned with the Daesh Takfiri terrorist outfit.

A Palestinian source also told the regime’s Kan News last month that members of Abu Shabab’s network had participated in meetings with senior US officials.

His clan, the Tarabin tribe, publicly disowned him after his death, calling it the closure of a “page of shame” and describing his fate as the “inevitable” outcome for those collaborating with an occupying entity.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Hamas had said Abu Shabab’s death underscored Tel Aviv’s failure to safeguard its collaborators. The movement said that anyone who “tampers with the security of his people and serves their enemy” would lose “any respect or status.”

The movement had also praised Gaza’s families and clans for distancing themselves from Abu Shabab, stressing that his actions “constituted a blatant departure from the national and social identity” of Palestinians and did not reflect the values of the local population.

According to the group, the regime’s reliance on such militias was “a reflection of its helplessness” in the face of Palestinian resistance during the war, which has claimed the lives of more than 70,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

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