Following the implementation of a fragile ceasefire, Hamas militants have publicly executed several individuals in the Gaza Strip, reportedly targeting alleged collaborators and outlaws. The actions come as the group attempts to reassert control over the territory, plunging parts of Gaza into further chaos.

Multiple international and local media outlets confirmed that Hamas-run security forces carried out the summary executions, with sources citing varying numbers, including at least seven to eight men.

Details of the Executions

• A video circulated on social media late Monday showed masked Hamas personnel dragging men—blindfolded and with hands tied—into a public area in Gaza City. They were then forced to their knees and shot execution-style in front of onlookers.
• Hamas officials stated the individuals executed were part of a crackdown on “collaborators,” “traitors,” “armed looters,” and “drug dealers.”
• The re-emergent Hamas security forces, which include a new “Deterrence Force,” have been targeting armed clans and gangs, some of which are suspected of receiving outside support during the conflict. Reports from Israeli media suggest dozens of rival armed faction members have been killed in clashes.

Condemnation and Reassertion of Control

The extrajudicial killings have drawn swift condemnation from within the Palestinian political structure and from human rights groups.

• The Palestinian Authority (PA) strongly denounced the executions as “heinous crimes” and a “blatant violation of human rights.” The PA stressed that such acts undermine national unity and contradict the rule of law.
• The Gaza-based Al Mezan Center for Human Rights and the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights both issued statements condemning the actions, demanding an end to “extrajudicial and arbitrary executions.”

This high-profile crackdown is widely seen as a message from Hamas that it remains the dominant authority, defying the terms of the broader U.S.-brokered peace plan which demands the group’s eventual disarmament and removal from governance. The increased visibility of armed Hamas fighters on the streets of Gaza is threatening the stability of the new ceasefire agreement.