A tribal source from the Tarabin tribe confirmed the killing of the collaborator with the occupation forces, Yasser Abu Shabab, in a shooting and clashes that took place on Wednesday in the eastern Rafah area, noting that others were also killed.
Another tribal source who spoke to Arabi21 revealed that Abu Shabab was killed by a man from one of the families belonging to the Tarabin tribe, motivated by the need to put an end to behaviour that violates the customs of the local community. Abu Shabab had been known for kidnapping and killing members of families who refused to join his group.
The source stated that two men from the A. S. and D. families opened fire with automatic weapons on Abu Shabab and several of his escorts, leading to his death and injuring others. The attackers were later killed following an exchange of fire in the area.
The source, who declined to disclose his identity, noted that a state of heightened alert has spread among some armed families residing within Abu Shabab’s sphere of influence, fearing retaliatory attacks by the militia.
Israeli Army Radio and other Hebrew media outlets reported on Thursday that the leader of the armed militia in eastern Rafah, Yasser Abu Shabab, who had collaborated with Israel in recent months, was assassinated by gunmen.
The radio confirmed that Abu Shabab had been transported to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba to receive treatment for a severe injury, but he died from his wounds. However, a tribal source who spoke to Arabi21 denied this account, stating that Abu Shabab was killed instantly during the clashes.
A statement attributed to the Tarabin tribe in the Gaza Strip asserted that the tribe would not provide cover for any instigators of sedition or collaborators with the occupation, regardless of attempts to implicate the tribe in paths that bear no relation to its values or history.
The tribe noted that as it followed developments in Rafah in recent days, it affirmed that the killing of Yasser Abu Shabab at the hands of the resistance represented, for the people of the Tarabin, the end of a dark chapter that does not reflect the tribe’s history or its established positions.
The statement added that the Tarabin tribe’s stance today is one of full alignment with the resistance of the Palestinian people in all its factions, and standing with the people of Gaza against the aggression. It emphasised that the tribe rejects any attempt to exploit its name or its members in forming militias or groups that act in the interest of the occupation or serve its agendas.
These developments come at a time when Israeli military operations continue in eastern Rafah amid an escalation on the ground and conflicting accounts of events. No official Palestinian narrative has yet been released regarding the circumstances of Abu Shabab’s death. However, the Rad’e Force of the resistance’s security apparatus in Gaza published a photo of Abu Shabab on its page, commenting: “As we told you, Israel will not protect you.”
In June, the Hebrew newspaper Maariv revealed that the Abu Shabab militia, which receives Israeli support in weapons, consists of criminals engaged in drug trafficking, sales, and property crimes.
In an interview with the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, Abu Shabab stated that his group receives logistical and financial support from multiple sources, though he refrained from naming them.
He explained that the group operates in the southern Gaza Strip, particularly in Rafah, in an area fully controlled by the Israeli army.
He added, “We move with great ease in Rafah, but there are other areas in the south of the Strip where we move cautiously. We do not feel the same sense of safety that we feel in the areas under the control of the Israeli army.”
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