Israeli Media Reports Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab in Rafah, Describing Incident as "Internal Conflict"

Israeli media outlets reported today, Thursday, the killing of Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of the so-called "Popular Forces," by an armed group in the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.

An Israeli source confirmed that Abu Shabab was transferred to Soroka Hospital, where he died of his injuries. Israeli assessments suggest the incident is an internal conflict and was not orchestrated by Hamas, contrary to some reports coming from the Gaza Strip.

Background of the "Popular Forces":

• The "Popular Forces" are an armed faction opposed to Hamas in Gaza.

• Previous Israeli reports had claimed that Abu Shabab received weapons and cover from the Israeli Army and was operating in coordination with them.

• Conversely, the spokesman for the Palestinian security services, Major General Anwar Rajab, denied in an audio recording to "Sky News Arabia" any connection between Palestinian security agencies and Yasser Abu Shabab and his armed group operating in the Rafah area.

Abu Shabab had previously appeared in a video recording asserting that his gunmen controlled areas "liberated from Hamas" and were working in coordination with the Palestinian Authority to distribute aid and protect civilians.