ALBAWABA — According to a report by the Hebrew-language news site Walla, Israeli security officials have verified that the Abu Shabab militia, a local armed organization that operates in southern Gaza, has been chosen as a possible Hamas substitute for overseeing some regions of the Strip.
Israeli airstrikes kill two, hit southern Lebanon towns in escalation beyond ceasefire linesFollowing the rejection of Fatah and the Palestinian Authority as possible governing entities, the faction headed by Yasser Abu Shabab was chosen to be supported. According to Israeli reports, the militia has already started guarding relief convoys entering the region and safeguarding humanitarian supply routes in Rafah.
Israeli authorities expressed optimism that the Palestinian populace would start to see Abu Shabab as a viable and long-term substitute for Hamas. As the group's credibility grows, they hypothesized, it may erode popular support for Hamas and perhaps shift public opinion in favor of military resistance against the organization.
Israel has allegedly sent Kalashnikov weapons, handguns, and ammo to the Abu Shabab organization, Walla said, stressing that the militia is not associated with ISIS or other extreme Salafi groups. According to reports, the organization is an established tribal militia that has no ties to international terrorist networks.
The Abu Shabab group responded to the findings by denying any foreign affiliation in a statement. Yasser Abu Shabab denied any collaboration with Israel or its troops in an audio clip that was circulated online. He said that rather than receiving funding from outside sources, the group's activities are funded by private contributions and local support, and that their weapons are a part of a long-standing tribal legacy that was handed down from the Bedouin Tarabin tribe.
As concerns about the militia's abrupt rise to prominence as a possible governing force in the unstable area deepen, the group is attempting to allay rising rumors and preserve its legitimacy among Gazans by denying any connections to Israel.
