With Public Executions and Beatings, Hamas Starts Reasserting Its Control of Gaza

Harrowing footage of masked Hamas members carrying out mass executions in Gaza circulated again on social media on Monday, with reports suggesting the terror group has killed 33 Palestinians since the ceasefire with Israel began on Friday.At least seven Palestinians were seen blindfolded with their hands tied, kneeling on the street in a public space in Gaza City before several armed Hamas members executed them. According to local reports and a source in Gaza who spoke to The New York Sun on condition of anonymity, the men were all members of the famous Doghmush clan in Gaza, whom Hamas accused of “collaborating” with Israel. A large group of Gazans gathered to watch and film the public execution, with some shouting “Allahu Akhbar.” The New York Sun has not been able to independently verify the videos. Hamas has cracked down on the clan in the past couple of days, with its members suffering casualties themselves as they engaged in gunfights on the streets of Gaza City. Videos also circulated of Hamas security forces hitting a Palestinian man’s legs with a club, while another was shot in his legs. A senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, who is himself from Gaza, commented on the executions on X, saying Hamas terrorists “emerged from the tunnels, and when they’re not executing or shooting Gazans, they walk around markets, steal aid and impose taxes like a gang.”“This is not the behavior of a group that’s demobilizing or deradicalizing. They are reinventing themselves as policemen and want to have a central role in the future of Gaza,” Mr. Alkhatib added. Since Israeli soldiers withdrew from large parts of Gaza last week Hamas has attempted to reassert its control of the enclave, calling up 7,000 members of its security forces, according to BBC. The report suggested that Hamas sent text messages to its forces instructing them to “cleanse Gaza of outlaws and collaborators with Israel.” Hamas’s crackdown on anyone who opposes it is, however, a well known method used by the terror group since it took power with Gaza in 2007. Speaking to the Sun on condition of anonymity, a local Palestinian from Gaza recalled how Hamas “dismantled” many of the enclave’s large and influential families, including the Doghmush clan. “Many individuals were executed in the streets and falsely accused of collaborating with hostile entities. In reality, these security organs act solely on directives from Hamas leadership, not through any recognized civil or military judicial systems,” the Palestinian man said. “Many opponents were executed under accusations of collaboration with Israel — often without any credible evidence. In Gaza, this charge is routinely used against anyone who expresses dissent or refuses to align with Hamas,” he added. The local Gazan also said that it has become almost impossible to live in Gaza without dealing with Hamas: “For ordinary people, it wasn’t about politics — it was about survival. You had to engage with them just to manage your daily life, your work, your business, and even your basic rights.”The violence carried out by Hamas raises questions about the second phase of the ceasefire where the terror group is meant to be disarmed, a demand to which it has publicly refused to adhere in the past couple of days. President Trump’s plan calls for an International Stabilization Force to oversee the disarmament of Hamas, but it’s unclear if any of the countries involved will send troops to Gaza.

With Public Executions and Beatings, Hamas Starts Reasserting Its Control of Gaza

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