The Take: Who was Israel-backed Gaza militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab?

Palestinians in Gaza celebrated after Israeli-backed militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab was killed.

The head of an anti-Hamas faction, Hussam Alastal, fires a weapon in the air as he is surrounded by masked gunmen, in an Israeli-held area in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip
The head of an anti-Hamas faction, Hussam al-Astal, fires a weapon in the air as he is surrounded by masked gunmen, in an Israeli-held area in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, in this screenshot taken from a video released November 21, 2025 [Reuters]

When Gaza militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab was killed last week, few Palestinians mourned his death. After Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza began in 2023, Abu Shabab and his Israel-backed Popular Forces group attempted to present themselves as an alternative to Hamas, but Palestinians instead viewed him as a traitor. What did his rise reveal about Israel’s strategy for Gaza?

In this episode:

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  • Muhammad Shehada (@muhammadshehad2), Fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations’ Middle East and North Africa programme

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Melanie Marich, Noor Wazwaz, and Haleema Shah, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Tracie Hunte, Diana Ferrero, and our guest host Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Kylene Kiang. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. This episode was mixed by Rick Rush. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. 

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