Abu Shabab’s deputy speaks out after appointment: ‘Why would I be afraid of Hamas?’
Ghassan Al-Duhaini greets troops in Gaza. (photo credit: screenshot, SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)
In an interview with N12 News, Al-Duhaini said that he fights Hamas “in the name of the people and the free individuals.”
The new leader of the Abu Shabab clan, Ghassan al-Duhaini, told N12 News on Friday that his militia would continue to fight Hamas in southern Gaza with greater intensity.
“Why would I be afraid of Hamas when I am fighting Hamas?” al-Dahini told N12. “I fight them, arrest their people, confiscate their equipment, fight them, and push them away. I do what they deserve in the name of the people and the free individuals.”
Footage of Al-Dahini greeting members of his militia circulated on Telegram after the announcement.
“The purpose of the video that was published is simple and clear: to show that the Popular Forces continue to operate,” he told N12. “It was meant to show readiness, to check the status of the forces and the guys there with high morale.”
Al-Duhaini was named as the head of the Abu Shabab clan after the former leader of the clan,Yasser Abu Shabab, 32, died on Thursday during a conflict between armed groups when he was wounded in critical condition. It was reported that he was not killed by Hamas fire but rather in the framework of an internal dispute.
members of the Abu Shabab Popular Forces militia in the Gaza Strip. (credit: SCREENSHOT/X, SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)
New leader of Abu Shabab clan speaks out
Al-Duhaini was also wounded in the attack that killed Shabab.
“It is true that the commander was dear to us and his absence is painful, but it does not stop the fight against terror. We continue with the same strength, and even with more determination.”
According to N12, he is 39 years old and belongs to the Bedouin al-Tarabin tribe, like his predecessor, Yasser Abu Shabab. He was the militia’s military commander before he stepped into his new role.
Notably, he was a commander in a terrorist group in Gaza that was associated with al-Qaeda. He is considered one of Hamas’s most wanted individuals and was previously arrested by the terror group.
He told N12 that the clan would work to push Hamas out of southern Gaza.
“We will clear the area for the civilians, we will direct the fighting toward an area where only the force has weapons, an area that can be described as demilitarized. There are civilians there who believe in peace. We are preparing a safe place where they can be received properly.”
