Anti-Hamas militia leader Yasser Abu Shabab was killed Thursday, Israeli defense sources said, in what they described as an “internal clash” — i.e., not with Hamas — in the southern Gaza Strip.

Abu Shabab was taken to a hospital in Israel, where he died of his wounds, according to the sources.

The Ynet news site cited a “senior source within the militia,” who said a fight broke out between families and groups within the militia, which deteriorated until shots were fired, at which point Abu Shabab was killed. Ynet later cited an Israeli security official as saying he was beaten to death as part of an argument over collaborating with Israel.

However, there was no official comment from the militia or Israeli authorities as of Thursday afternoon.

Abu Shabab, a Bedouin tribal leader based in Israeli-held Rafah in southern Gaza, had led the most prominent of several small anti-Hamas groups that emerged in Gaza during the war.

Hamas branded him a collaborator and ordered its fighters to kill or capture him.

Abu Shabab’s group has denied being backed by Israel.

The group has continued to operate in areas controlled by Israeli forces since a US-backed ceasefire was reached in October.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged in June that Israel had armed anti-Hamas........

© The Times of Israel