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Popular Forces

The Popular Forces, also known as the Anti-Terror Service, is a Palestinian anti-Hamas armed group active in the Gaza Strip which was founded by Yasser Abu Shabab during the Gaza war. Following Yasser Abu Shabab's death on 4 December 2025, Ghassan Duhine proclaimed himself the new leader. The Popular Forces are Israeli-backed and allegedly Islamic State…

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Founded
November 2023; 2 years ago (2023-11) (as the Abu Shabab militia)
Headquarters
Al-Bayuk, Rafah
Allies
Israel · United Arab Emirates (allegedly) · Counter-Terrorism Strike Force · Shuja'iyya Popular Defence Forces · Islamic State (denied)
Armed Wing
Counter-Terrorism Service (de facto from 2024, but officially 2025–present)
Battles and Wars
Gaza–Israel conflict Gaza war Rafah offensive Battle of Khan Yunis (2025) Anti-Hamas insurgency in Gaza 2025 Hamas executions Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab 2025 Hamas–Doghmush co… · Gaza war Rafah offensive Battle of Khan Yunis (2025) Anti-Hamas insurgency in Gaza 2025 Hamas executions Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab 2025 Hamas–Doghmush conflict Israeli attack… · Rafah offensive · Battle of Khan Yunis (2025) · Anti-Hamas insurgency in Gaza 2025 Hamas executions Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab 2025 Hamas–Doghmush conflict
Designated as terror group by
Hamas Government of the Gaza Strip[citation needed]

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Overview

History

Allied groups

Combat operations and clashes with Hamas

Administration within the Gaza Strip

Advanced semantic analysis

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Map overview Semantic statistics

Popular Forces

Nodes114
Edges113
Triples192
Avg. degree1.98
Density0.017544
Components1

How this topic connects Entity context

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Popular Forces

Top relations

related to Origins and characteristics · 27
Popular Forces → Abu Shabab, Abu Shabab's, Abu Shahab, According, Asda, Egyptian, Hamas, IDF, ISIS, Israel, Israel's Rafah, Keram Shalom, Kerem Shalom, Khan Yunis, May, Nasr, October, Palestinian, Palestinian Authority's, Rafah
related to Allegations of connections to the Islamic State · 21
Popular Forces → After Netanyahu, Avigdor Libermann, Avigdor Libermann's, Former, Gaza, Hamas, IS, ISIS, Islamic State, Israel, Israeli, Leader, Netanyahu, No, Opposition Yair Lapid, The Democrats, The Guardian, We're, Western, Yair Golan
related to Aid looting · 19
Popular Forces → Abu Shabab's, Agency, An, Another Gazan, Gaza, Gazan, In, Kerem Shalom, Law, November, NPR, On, Sam Rose, The Economist, UN, United Nations, United Nations Relief Works, UNRWA, Yasser Abu Shabab
related to Combat operations and clashes with Hamas · 17
Popular Forces → Gaza, Gaza Strip, GHF, Hamas, Israel-aligned, Israeli, Issam Nabahin, January, June, Kerem Shalom, May, November, On, Rafah, The, The Popular Forces, This
related to Popular Defense Forces – Khalil al-Wazir Battalion · 17
Popular Forces → Al-Quds Open University, Commander-1, Counter-Terrorism Service, CTS, December, During, Ensuring, Ghassan Duhine, Khalil, Martyr Khalil, On, Popular Defense Forces, Rafah, Sultan, Tel, The, Wazir Battalion
related to Allegations of connections to the United Arab Emirates · 16
Popular Forces → According, Counter-Terrorism Service, Emirati, Gaza Strip, In, In October, Israeli, Isuzu, Popular Forces Ghassan Duhine, Senior, Sky News, The United Arab Emirates, These, UAE, UAE's, Yemen
related to Ashraf al-Mansi group · 15
Popular Forces → Ashraf, Beit Lahia, Following, Forces, Gaza, Gaza City, Hamas, However, Jabalia, Mansi, Northern Gaza, October, People's Army Northern Forces, The, The People's Army
Battles and Wars · 9
Popular Forces → 2025 Hamas executions, 2025 Hamas–Doghmush conflict, Anti-Hamas insurgency in Gaza 2025 Hamas executions Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab 2025 Hamas–Doghmush conflict, Battle of Khan Yunis (2025), Gaza war Rafah offensive Battle of Khan Yunis (2025) Anti-Hamas insurgency in Gaza 2025 Hamas executions Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab 2025 Hamas–Doghmush conflict Israeli attack…, Gaza–Israel conflict Gaza war Rafah offensive Battle of Khan Yunis (2025) Anti-Hamas insurgency in Gaza 2025 Hamas executions Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab 2025 Hamas–Doghmush co…, Israeli attacks on the Maghazi refugee camp, Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab, Rafah offensive
Opponents · 8
Popular Forces → Al-Qassam Brigades, and others..., Arrow Unit, Gaza Police Arrow Unit, Internal Security Services Rad'a Force, Ministry of Interior of the Gaza Strip Gaza Police Arrow Unit Internal Security Services Rad'a Force, Palestinian Joint Operations Room Al-Qassam Brigades and others..., Rad'a Force
see also · 8
Popular Forces → Counter-Terrorism Strike ForceWartime, Gaza StripIsrael, Gaza StripProject New Gaza, Hamas, HamasSalafi, Islamic StateIslamist, Israeli, Popular ForcesCriticism

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Important terminology

forces popular gaza abu hamas shabab group israeli israel palestinian strip rafah stated aid 2025 looting said shabab's militia reportedly

Entity relationships Subject–Predicate–Object triples

SubjectPredicateObjectConfidenceSrc
Popular ForcesAlliesIsrael1.00infobox
Popular ForcesAlliesUnited Arab Emirates (allegedly)1.00infobox
Popular ForcesAlliesCounter-Terrorism Strike Force1.00infobox
Popular ForcesAlliesShuja'iyya Popular Defence Forces1.00infobox
Popular ForcesAlliesIslamic State (denied)1.00infobox
Popular ForcesArmed WingCounter-Terrorism Service (de facto from 2024, but officially 2025–present)1.00infobox
Popular ForcesBattles and WarsGaza–Israel conflict Gaza war Rafah offensive Battle of Khan Yunis (2025) Anti-Hamas insurgency in Gaza 2025 Hamas executions Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab 2025 Hamas–Doghmush co…1.00infobox
Popular ForcesBattles and WarsGaza war Rafah offensive Battle of Khan Yunis (2025) Anti-Hamas insurgency in Gaza 2025 Hamas executions Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab 2025 Hamas–Doghmush conflict Israeli attack…1.00infobox
Popular ForcesBattles and WarsRafah offensive1.00infobox
Popular ForcesBattles and WarsBattle of Khan Yunis (2025)1.00infobox
Popular ForcesBattles and WarsAnti-Hamas insurgency in Gaza 2025 Hamas executions Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab 2025 Hamas–Doghmush conflict1.00infobox
Popular ForcesBattles and Wars2025 Hamas executions1.00infobox
Popular ForcesBattles and WarsKilling of Yasser Abu Shabab1.00infobox
Popular ForcesBattles and Wars2025 Hamas–Doghmush conflict1.00infobox
Popular ForcesBattles and WarsIsraeli attacks on the Maghazi refugee camp1.00infobox
Popular ForcesDesignated as terror group byHamas Government of the Gaza Strip[citation needed]1.00infobox
Popular ForcesFoundedNovember 2023; 2 years ago (2023-11) (as the Abu Shabab militia)1.00infobox
Popular ForcesFounderYasser Abu Shabab1.00infobox
Popular ForcesHeadquartersAl-Bayuk, Rafah1.00infobox
Popular ForcesIdeologyAnti-Hamas (proclaimed)1.00infobox
Popular ForcesIdeologyPalestinian nationalism (proclaimed)1.00infobox
Popular ForcesIdeologyNon-ideological (proclaimed)1.00infobox
Popular ForcesIdeologySalafi jihadism (elements, alleged)1.00infobox
Popular ForcesLeaderGhassan Duhine[a]1.00infobox
Popular ForcesMembership500–700 (estimate as of October 2025)1.00infobox
Popular ForcesNational affiliationPopular Forces administration in the Gaza Strip1.00infobox
Popular ForcesOpponentsPalestinian Joint Operations Room Al-Qassam Brigades and others...1.00infobox
Popular ForcesOpponentsAl-Qassam Brigades1.00infobox
Popular ForcesOpponentsand others...1.00infobox
Popular ForcesOpponentsMinistry of Interior of the Gaza Strip Gaza Police Arrow Unit Internal Security Services Rad'a Force1.00infobox

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