Gazan militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab on Wednesday said he is cooperating with Palestinian Authority officials and establishing relations with the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). In a written conversation with Army Radio, he also denied claims that his men have harmed innocent Gazans near aid sites.

Asked about recent interactions with PA President Mahmoud Abbas and his deputy, Hussein al-Sheikh, Abu Shabab denied speaking directly with Abbas but emphasized his “good relations” with various officials in the Palestine Liberation Organization and the PA. “I respect and appreciate President Abbas,” he said.

Abu Shabab did not deny having communicated with Sheikh. “There is a broad national dialogue aimed at the welfare of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip,” he said.

The dialogue transcends political divides and seeks to foster unity, Abu Shabab said, adding that he does not want to exist “as a separate entity from Palestinian legitimacy” and is firmly opposed to “fostering internal divisions.” He suggested an alignment with the broader national framework led by the PA.

Abu Shabab confirmed that influential figures within the PA’s intelligence apparatus have been cooperating with his group.

Image of militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab. (credit: SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)
Image of militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab. (credit: SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)
“We refrain from naming them, and we appreciate their efforts,” he said, adding that whether they cooperate due to official instructions or national sentiment is a private matter.

Gaza aid distribution and incidents near aid sites

Regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Abu Shabab said more than 1,000 people were living under his militia’s control in eastern Rafah, and he has received thousands of volunteer requests and asylum applications for the area.Abu Shabab confirmed his relationship with GHF, which operates aid distribution centers in Gaza.

“We have good relations with them,” he said. “They provided significant amounts of aid to our area following the increasing number of people.”

Abu Shabab denied that his group had anything to do with gunfire directed at civilians near humanitarian aid centers. It was regrettable that “armed and unidentified gangs” were attempting to shift blame onto his group for these incidents, he said.

Abu Shabab’s militia is a local armed group that has been operating against Hamas’s control in Gaza. On Tuesday, it claimed to have killed five Hamas terrorists.