Al-Bayuk

Al Bayuk is a small village in the southern Gaza Strip, near the city of Rafah and close to the border with Egypt. It is known for its location near the Philadelphi Corridor, an area with many underground smuggling tunnels. The village became more well-known during the Gaza war when Yasser Abu Shabab and his Popular Forces militia turned it into their de facto capital.^[1]

Al Bayuk is a small village on the southeastern edge of Rafah, Gaza, historically home to around 5,600 residents. Long overlooked politically, it gained prominence during the Gaza war when the Popular Forces, a clan-based militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab, established control over parts of Al Bayuk, turning it into their operational hub. Backed by Israel, the group used the village’s location near the Kerem Shalom border crossing to control aid routes and expand into Khan Yunis, and now functions as the de facto headquarters for the group.