Yediot Ahronot: The Assassination of Abu Shabab Reveals the Degree of Erosion in the Israeli Idea of Forming a Local Alternative Force from Within

Translation by SadaNews - The Hebrew newspaper Yediot Ahronot stated on Friday that the death of Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of the armed militias in the Gaza Strip, who was depicted as a rising force that would challenge Hamas' rule, presents a more alarming picture than the official reports about these militias, amidst claims that they were attempting to build a new reality.

The newspaper considered, as translated by SadaNews, that the assassination of Abu Shabab was not just an ordinary step but rather a moment that uncovered the extent of the erosion of the Israeli idea of establishing a local alternative force from within.

It pointed out that a day before Abu Shabab's death, there were fierce battles between Abu Shabab's elements and Hamas members, noting that Ghassan al-Dahini, Abu Shabab's deputy, boasted about those clashes and his forces' participation in pursuing "Qassam" elements who were still holed up in the remaining tunnels in Rafah, and their collapse after killing some and arresting others.

The newspaper stated: At that very moment, the real war erupted within the very system that declared victory over Hamas in Rafah... An internal conflict, as described by sources within the militia, with hours of tension, suspicion, and quarrels among families and groups, escalating from a brawl that quickly intensified into an armed confrontation, culminating in gunfire directed at the supreme leader Abu Shabab, which resulted in his death.

According to Israeli security sources, Abu Shabab was brutally beaten during an internal scuffle, apparently due to disagreements over the extent of his cooperation with Israel, after which Israeli forces transported him outside the strip, but he succumbed to his wounds on the way to Soroka Hospital. This account was denied by Abu Shabab's forces, who confirmed he was shot.

The newspaper viewed this as a direct blow to the Israeli plan to create a local force in the Gaza Strip to fill the civil security vacuum left by Hamas.

An Israeli security source said: "Any such internal liquidation will tear apart the foundation we tried to build an alternative mechanism upon; instead of stability, we see a collapse."

Sources from Gaza, as reported by Yediot Ahronot and translated by SadaNews, expect that divisions, familial rivalries, competition for weapons and power, and further conflicts are anticipated to intensify.

A local source from Gaza stated: "The whole system is based on shaky foundations... Every fallen leader creates a vacuum, and chaos increases."

The newspaper mentioned that Abu Shabab had previously boasted in an interview that he had become the strongest man in the Gaza Strip and saw himself as an alternative to Hamas, but this man, who considered himself the leader of the revolution, was taken down by the forces he had contributed to their growth, and his vision for a "different Gaza" was shattered by the bullet that was aimed at his back.

The newspaper sees that the killing of Abu Shabab has created a dangerous vacuum, and there is currently no stable entity capable of replacing Hamas in leading Gaza, especially since the current militias are divided and disorganized. Ghassan al-Dahini, Abu Shabab's deputy, might assume leadership in his place, but his position remains completely unstable.

Al-Dahini pledged in an interview with the newspaper to continue Yasser Abu Shabab's project and resist Hamas, describing it as a weak movement and stating he is more determined to confront it.