Hamas militants execute 8 in public as Gaza descends into chaos after ceasefire

Dubai: Violent clashes have erupted across Gaza as Hamas fighters battle rival factions and launch an apparent campaign of public executions to reassert control following Israel’s partial withdrawal from the Strip.

Graphic videos circulating on social media show masked Hamas gunmen executing eight blindfolded men in Gaza City’s Al Sabra neighbourhood before a crowd of onlookers.

The detainees, stripped and bound, are seen being dragged into a public square and shot at close range as fighters cheer.

The Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, a Palestinian NGO, condemned the killings as “extrajudicial executions” and urged that those responsible be held accountable. “They constitute a legal and moral crime that requires immediate condemnation and accountability,” the group said.

Hamas’s internal security wing, Radaa, later claimed responsibility, saying its forces had “neutralised several wanted individuals and outlaws.” It offered no evidence but said the operation targeted “collaborators and lawless elements” allegedly involved in shootings and attacks on civilians.

The executions followed days of armed clashes between Hamas militants and members of the powerful Doghmush family, a clan long influential in Gaza’s al-Sabra and Tel Al Hawa neighbourhoods. The family accused Hamas of “killing, intimidation, torture, and burning homes,” describing the campaign as a “heinous crime committed under false pretexts.”

“We hold all those who participated in, contributed to, or remained silent about these crimes fully responsible before God and history,” the family said, adding that it had lost more than 600 members during the war.

Breakdown in security

• Return of Hamas forces: Hamas security units have reappeared on Gaza’s streets, clashing with armed groups as they seek to restore control in areas vacated by Israeli troops.

• Public executions: Footage circulated online shows Hamas fighters executing alleged gangsters in Gaza City — a move condemned by Palestinian rights groups as “extrajudicial killings.”

• Trump reaction: US President Donald Trump said the executions “didn’t bother me much,” but warned Hamas to disarm or face force.

• Netanyahu’s warning: Israel’s prime minister said the war will not end until Hamas is dismantled and Gaza’s weapons handed to an international authority.

• Rise of armed gangs: Local clans and anti-Hamas factions — some allegedly backed by Israel — have filled the power vacuum, accused of looting aid and attacking civilians.

• Doghmush clashes: Hamas fought members of the Doghmush family in Gaza City after a Hamas militant’s killing, leaving more than 20 people dead.

• Public response: Some Palestinians welcomed Hamas’s return to the streets as a step toward “normalcy and safety” after months of chaos.

• New amnesty: Hamas announced a weeklong amnesty for gang members not involved in bloodshed, promising to expunge their records if they surrender.

PA condemns ‘heinous crimes’

The Palestinian National Authority in Ramallah denounced the executions as “heinous crimes” and called for “the restoration of legitimate Palestinian institutions” to end the chaos gripping Gaza.
“The wave of extrajudicial executions and shootings cannot be justified under any circumstances,” the PNA said in a statement via its official WAFA news agency.

The Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR), a PNA-linked body, demanded an “end to arbitrary executions in the Gaza Strip,” saying such acts deepen divisions and destroy public trust.

Trump downplays killings

US President Donald Trump, who brokered the ceasefire that halted the two-year war between Israel and Hamas, appeared to downplay the executions, saying they “didn’t bother me much.”

“They did take out a couple of gangs that were very bad,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday night. “That’s okay. It’s a couple of very bad gangs. It’s no different than other countries like Venezuela.”

Trump had earlier said he had given Hamas “approval for a period of time” to police Gaza after the ceasefire, under his 20-point peace plan that offers amnesty to Hamas members who disarm and commit to peaceful coexistence.

Israel, PNA call for accountability

Israel’s Foreign Ministry shared the execution video online, calling it proof that Hamas “rules through fear.”

“It’s not resistance — it’s tyranny,” the ministry said. “Palestinians seeking food or freedom are met with bullets, not compassion.”

PNA officials echoed that sentiment, warning that Gaza is descending into lawlessness under Hamas rule.

As one PNA official put it: “These killings are not justice. They are a glimpse of the terror that continues to hold Gaza hostage.”

-- With AP inputs