Dahlan’s Democratic Reform Current warns against dealing with gang robbing aid in Gaza

The Democratic Reform Current, the Fatah branch led by dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan, has condemned a “gang” led by Yasser Abu Shabab in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip and accused it of operating as a field arm of the Israeli occupation army.

In a statement issued on Monday, the party said the militia aims to spread chaos in the Gaza Strip and obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid, noting that it serves as an extension of “collaborative projects” previously rejected by the Palestinian people that ultimately failed. “The Israeli occupation continues to escalate its aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip, using new tools that target the unity of Palestinian society and exacerbate the suffering of civilians, as part of the ongoing genocidal war” it said.

It pointed out that statements issued by Israeli occupation leaders, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, confirm that the Israeli establishment is arming criminal groups, led by the Yasser Abu Shabab gang, and transforming them into armed militias under the direct supervision of the Israeli security services, with the aim of inciting chaos and obstructing relief efforts.

The Reform Current asserted that the militias are organisationally linked to the Israeli occupation army and are implicated in committing robberies and murders targeting relief convoys and limited the humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, in a clear attempt to deepen the suffering of the Palestinian people and break their steadfastness.

The movement considered that arming these groups and transforming them into tools as part of the “genocidal war” waged by the Israeli occupation reflects Israel’s efforts to undermine Palestinian social fabric and transform chaos into a means within its comprehensive war strategy.

At the end of its statement, the Current warned against dealing with the “agent criminal gangs,” holding the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for “organised crimes” in Gaza.

The movement called on the international community to take urgent action to halt these policies and provide international protection for civilians. It also emphasised the importance of building a national partnership that includes political forces, national clans, and civil society institutions to protect the people’s resources, preserve civil peace, and ensure the rule of law.

Abu Shabab was previously convicted of drug trafficking and theft and was imprisoned prior to October 2023. He was released following the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

Since May 2024, Abu Shabab has led a militia of approximately 300 active militants in Rafah, particularly near the Kerem Shalom crossing.

According to reports from Israeli sources, Abu Shabab’s militia received weapons from Israeli forces as an initiative to undermine Hamas’s control and minimise Israeli losses.

Abu Shabab leads a gang that robs aid trucks on the roads in Rafah, exploiting the security vacuum and the absence of state authority. The looting is estimated to have comprised 30 per cent of the convoys, with trucks being burned and some drivers killed.