Israeli Collaborator Yasser Abu Shabab Killed with Mixed Reports on His Death
Israeli media issues contradictory narratives as security officials concede the failure of Tel Aviv’s project to build local proxy militias in Gaza
Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM - Israeli media outlets continue to publish contradictory accounts regarding the death of Yasser Abu Shabab, a collaborator who led a militia operating on behalf of the Israeli occupation during its genocidal war on Gaza.
Despite the differing narratives, Israeli security assessments agree that his killing represents a major blow to the occupation’s efforts to establish a loyal local force inside the Strip.
According to Hebrew Channel 12, Abu Shabab was transferred to Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva after being wounded in an armed confrontation, before being pronounced dead despite Israeli medical teams’ attempts to save him.
Multiple Narratives From Israeli Army Radio
Israeli Army Radio issued two conflicting versions of events.
One account claimed that initial assessments pointed to internal family disputes as the cause of Abu Shabab’s death.
Another narrative suggested that Palestinian resistance fighters successfully assassinated him after luring him into a carefully planned ambush.
In the same context, the radio station reported that senior Israeli security officials had opposed the plan to form local proxy militias inside Gaza, asserting that the experiment was “doomed to fail” and reminiscent of the South Lebanon Army, which collapsed within hours in 2000.
Reports Point to a Resistance Ambush
The Israeli platform “Hadashot Lo Tzensura” stated that Abu Shabab, along with his aide Ghassan al-Dahini, fell into “a well-executed ambush set by Hamas.”
Meanwhile, Hebrew Channel “Kan” reported that several members of Abu Shabab’s group were also killed during the attack.
Other Israeli security sources claimed that Abu Shabab was killed in an internal clash with his aide al-Dahini.
Public Celebration in Gaza
News of Abu Shabab’s killing sparked widespread celebration among Gaza residents, accompanied by heavy celebratory gunfire in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis.
Regardless of who carried out the operation, his death represents a direct blow to the occupation’s persistent attempts to establish armed local formations in Gaza — attempts that have repeatedly failed since the beginning of the war.
Israeli Channels Acknowledge the Collapse of the Plan
Hebrew Channel 13 stated:
“Anyone who believed figures like Abu Shabab could govern the Strip or establish a stable administrative system received the definitive answer today… the elimination of Abu Shabab.”
Channel 12 added:
“For many months they were trained, developed, and legitimized by armed militias in an effort to create ‘alternatives’ to Hamas. In the end, they fell — and Hamas remained.”
Israel’s Failed Project in Rafah
Abu Shabab had been based in Rafah under the protection of Israeli occupation forces, which hoped to rely on him to establish a model of local governance separate from Hamas — a project widely rejected by the Palestinian public.
His name had risen to prominence in the security landscape after Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, released footage on May 30, 2025, documenting its targeting of an undercover Israeli unit (“Mista’arvim”) east of Rafah.
The footage showed the unit moving near the eastern border and raiding several Palestinian homes before Qassam fighters detonated a booby-trapped house while the unit was inside, killing and injuring several of its members. (PW)