Hamas on Wednesday issued a ten-day ultimatum to a Gaza militia leader accused of working with Israeli security forces, warning he would be tried in absentia if he failed to surrender. Yasser Abu Shabab, 32, from the southern Gaza city of Rafah, is facing a series of allegations, including treason, espionage, and leading an armed rebellion. According to Hamas officials, Abu Shabab commands weapons reportedly supplied by Israel and heads a group they consider a direct threat to Gaza’s stability. “The announcement is a clear message to any party thinking about fomenting division within the resistance,” Hamas said. Abu Shabab leads the Popular Forces, a militia that portrays itself as a civilian defense group distributing aid and protecting local residents. The Popular Forces rejected Hamas’ accusations in comments to Israeli media outlet Ynet, claiming Hamas itself should be on trial for serving the interests of Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood — organizations the militia described as working against the Palestinian people. Once a petty criminal who was jailed on drug and theft charges, Abu Shabab escaped Hamas custody during an Israeli airstrike on a security facility. He has since reinvented himself as a militia commander, though critics say his Popular Forces operate more like a criminal syndicate. International and Palestinian observers have documented the group’s alleged collaboration with Israeli forces in areas bordering the Kerem Shalom crossing. Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, has repeatedly accused Abu Shabab of leading a network of Israeli collaborators intent on undermining Hamas’ control of the enclave. Further controversy surrounds Abu Shabab’s involvement in looting humanitarian aid, an allegation that appeared in a leaked United Nations memo. His own family publicly distanced itself from him in May, acknowledging under community pressure that he had assisted Israeli security services. Social media footage circulating in Gaza shows Abu Shabab’s fighters manning improvised checkpoints while wearing military gear marked “Anti-Terror Service,” a name which has no formal recognition. The U.S.-affiliated Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has categorically denied any links to Abu Shabab’s men, clarifying that it does not coordinate with any armed Palestinian group. Several humanitarian organizations have accused the Popular Forces of seizing aid trucks and extorting payments from merchants, allegedly with Israeli troops looking on. Hamas has formally classified the group as hostile, even releasing video of its fighters targeting Popular Forces members with improvised explosive devices. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)