On Tuesday, the BBC confirmed the authenticity of a video depicting Hamas terrorist gunmen executing eight bound Palestinian captives in a public square in Gaza. This grim scene was witnessed by a crowd of supporters, who cheered the executions with cries of “Allahu Akbar!”
The BBC chose not to distribute the footage due to its distressing nature, but they outlined how their team validated the clip, including identifying the street layout around the execution site. Reuters also confirmed the video’s authenticity with a “Hamas source,” noting that the footage began circulating on Monday evening.
Hamas is reported to have admitted to the killings, alleging the victims were “criminals and collaborators with Israel.” Over the course of the Gaza war, Hamas has executed several Palestinians, often claiming they were collaborating with Israel.
According to Ynet News, one of those executed was Ahmad Zidan al-Tarabin, who was purportedly “responsible for recruiting agents for the Abu Shabab militia.” Yasser Abu Shabab is a prominent gang leader in Gaza, with his militia, known as the Popular Army, operating independently of Hamas. Sources in Gaza revealed to Ynet that Shabab and other militia heads are prime targets for Hamas death squads.
The BBC suggested that the recent victims might have been captives taken during Hamas’s battle for dominance in postwar Gaza against various clans and gangs. A member of the Dughmush family, one of the clans opposing Hamas, condemned the Monday evening executions as “criminal.”
Over the weekend, at least 27 people lost their lives as Hamas gunmen clashed with Dughmush fighters near a location that formerly served as a Jordanian-managed hospital in Gaza City. By the end of the conflict, which was evident from the body count, Hamas seemed to have the upper hand, with medical officials in Gaza reporting that 19 of those killed belonged to the Dughmush clan.
According to eyewitnesses, Hamas sent a force of over 300 fighters into the neighborhood, which was a Dughmush stronghold. Terrified civilians fled the area during the battle.
“This time people weren’t fleeing Israeli attacks. They were running from their own people,” said a dismayed Gaza City resident.
The Hamas “interior ministry” claimed its forces were defending themselves from “an armed assault by a militia.” Sources in the Dughmush family said Hamas launched a massive attack against the old hospital building, where members of the family took refuge after their homes were destroyed by Israeli strikes during the war, because Hamas wanted to establish its own base in the building.
According to Ynet News, Hamas used ambulances to slip its gunmen into position around the Dughmush stronghold. Clan members claimed that up to 52 members of their family were killed in the attack.
“It’s a massacre. They’re dragging people away, children are screaming and dying, they’re burning our houses. What did we do wrong?” the daughter of a Dughmush fighter wailed.
I24 News reported that over 30 Palestinians have been executed by Hamas for “treason and collaboration” since Hamas released its Israeli hostages on Monday morning. Many of the victims were reportedly members of rival armed groups like the Dughmush clan.
“Gaza residents said fighters were increasingly visible on Tuesday, deploying along routes needed for aid deliveries. Palestinian security sources say dozens of people have been killed in clashes between Hamas fighters and rivals in recent days,” Reuters added.
