"Our weapons are not from Israel - they are simple weapons that we collected from the local population," Abu Shabab said.

We have no ties to any state or political regime,” he said. “These accusations are attempts to damage our reputation and stir hostility between us and other countries”

Yasser Abu Shabab, a Bedouin man in his 30s, holds sway in eastern Rafah, an area close to a key border crossing between Israel and Gaza.