Senior security officials say that, at this stage, indications point to an internal dispute as the cause of his death. According to those officials, assessments are already being made regarding a successor, and the militia is expected to continue operating in coordination with Israel.

WHO WAS YASSER ABU-SHABAB?
According to Gaza-based sources cited last June by Asharq Al-Awsat, Abu-Shabab was a young member of the Tarabin tribe who had previously been arrested by Hamas on drug-related charges but was released at the start of the war. By late 2024, Hamas accused him of stealing humanitarian aid and attacked the areas where he and his men operated. At least 20 of his fighters were killed and dozens wounded. At one point Hamas claimed he had been killed by an anti-tank missile, but it later emerged that the dead man was actually his brother.

After disappearing for a period, Abu-Shabab resurfaced when Israel allowed an increased humanitarian aid flow into Gaza even before the ceasefire agreement. Videos on social media showed his men distributing aid and securing aid convoys.