Hamas orders Gaza clan leader Yasser Abu Shabab to surrender

CAIRO: The Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza on Wednesday ordered Yasser Abu Shabab – the leader of a well-armed Bedouin clan who is defying the group’s control of the Palestinian enclave to surrender and face trial, accusing him of treason.

A ministry statement said the decision was taken by what it called a “Revolutionary Court”. Yasser Abu Shabab, who does not recognize the authority of Hamas, has 10 days to surrender, it said.

The court urged Palestinians to inform Hamas security officials about the whereabouts of Abu Shabab, who has so far remained beyond their reach in the Rafah area of southern Gaza held by Israeli troops. There was no immediate response from his group to the surrender order.

Hamas, which accuses Abu Shabab of looting UN aid trucks and alleges that he is backed by Israel, has sent some of its top fighters to kill him, two Hamas sources and two other sources familiar with the situation told Reuters last month.

Abu Shabab’s group told Reuters, at the time that it is a popular force protecting humanitarian aid from looting by escorting aid trucks and denied getting support from Israel or contacts with the Israeli army.

Israel has said it has backed some of Gaza’s clans against Hamas.

Earlier, A U.N. expert has named over 60 companies, including major arms manufacturers and technology firms, in a report alleging their involvement in supporting Israeli settlements and military actions in Gaza, which she called a “genocidal campaign.”

Italian human rights lawyer Francesca Albanese, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, compiled the report based on over 200 submissions from states, human rights defenders, companies, and academics.

The report, published late Monday, calls for companies to cease dealings with Israel and for legal accountability for executives implicated in alleged violations of international law.