Hamas death squads have been executing enemies within Gaza in public, as they strive to regain control following the ceasefire with Israel.
In one horrifying video, a line of gunmen can be seen pointing their weapons at eight blindfolded men, forced to kneel on the ground before a jeering crowd. Moments later, they were executed. The men were accused by Hamas militants of collaborating with Israel.
It is believed that dozens more individuals have been killed since last weekend amidst a power struggle between Hamas and rival factions – yet Donald Trump has minimised news of the clashes, telling journalists it “didn’t bother me much”.
The Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, has denounced the executions as “heinous crimes” and called for the reinstatement of legitimate Palestinian leadership to prevent further turmoil in Gaza.
Prior to the conflict, Hamas had firm control over Gaza. However, during Israel’s two-year bombardment, powerful local families and armed gangs filled the power vacuum that emerged in the region.
Some stand accused of seizing humanitarian aid and selling it for profit, exacerbating the starvation crisis.
Over the past weekend, Hamas-led fighters clashed with an armed group in Gaza City linked to the influential Doghmush family, following the murder of Mohammed Aqel, a Hamas militant, on Friday.
Mr Aqel’s family said in a statement that armed men had kidnapped him, robbed him and killed him.
Another family, the al-Muqaid, said the gang ambushed five of its members when they returned to their homes and robbed them, killing one and leaving another in intensive care.
The Doghmush family initially denounced the gang and distanced itself from their actions.
Two days later, it issued another statement condemning Hamas’ executions, saying there was no need for “this brutality.”
Today, the Hamas-affiliated security force Radaa said it had been “conducting a comprehensive security operation” across all areas of the Gaza Strip for several days, which it said targeted “those involved in collaboration with the occupation and its mercenaries and anyone who shelters them.”
Another statement on a Hamas-affiliated Telegram channel on Wednesday said that the executions were carried out “after the completion of all legal and judicial procedures”, and that all detainees had either been collaborating with Israel or had committed other security-related offences, though no further details were given.
It comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that Hamas honour the ceasefire agreement and return all 28 bodies of deceased hostages still in Gaza.
Four bodies were handed over by Hamas yesterday after Israel threatened to cut aid, but the IDF has since said that one of the bodies is not that of a hostage. “We will not compromise on this and will not stop our efforts until we return the last deceased hostage, until the last one,” Netanyahu declared.