Overview
- The Popular Forces confirmed Abu Shabab’s death and said he was shot while trying to resolve a local dispute in Rafah.
- Other reports describe a deadly clash with a powerful family after his men allegedly refused to free a captive, while Hamas denied involvement.
- He was reported wounded in a clan confrontation, evacuated to a hospital in southern Israel, and later died of his injuries.
- Abu Shabab led the Popular Forces operating from Israeli-controlled areas, where fighters escorted aid trucks and asserted control in parts of eastern Rafah.
- Analysts say his death complicates Israel’s effort to cultivate local anti-Hamas forces, even as his group vows to continue operations following the October ceasefire.