• Hamas orders gang leader Yasser Abu Shabab to surrender within 10 days.
• Abu Shabab is accused of collaborating with Israel and looting humanitarian aid.
• Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed support for gang factions in Gaza.
• The Popular Forces group rejects Hamas authority and claims the court order is mere propaganda.
• Over 500 Palestinians have died amid struggles for aid access in Gaza since May.

A Hamas-run court has ordered Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of a Bedouin gang in southern Gaza known as the Popular Forces, to surrender within ten days. The court charged him with serious offenses, including treason and collaborating with hostile entities, notably accusing him of looting humanitarian aid deliveries. This order underscores the tensions between Hamas and local militia operations, which some allege are backed by Israel, as the court seeks to address the rampant violence and conflict in the region, according to aljazeera, trtglobal, and middleeasteye.

Abu Shabab, 35, who had previously been imprisoned by Hamas for drug trafficking, reportedly fled detention amidst the recent escalation in Israel's military activities in Gaza. The Popular Forces group has publicly dismissed the court order, referring to it as a "sitcom" that does not intimidate them. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly acknowledged providing support to certain local groups opposing Hamas, further complicating the power dynamics within Gaza, according to aljazeera, trtglobal, and middleeasteye.

Following the establishment of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), accusations against the Popular Forces have intensified, with reports alleging that their members have been involved in violent incidents aimed at aid facilitators. This has prompted international NGOs to call for a reconsideration of U.S.-Israeli aid distribution methods in Gaza, citing significant humanitarian crises exacerbated by the current operational environment, according to aljazeera and middleeasteye.