Three Palestinians accused of “collaborating” with Israel were executed publicly by Hamas gunmen in Gaza on Sunday. The masked militants carried out the killings outside Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, a key focus of a major Israeli ground offensive, reported the BBC.The victims, blindfolded and kneeling, were shot multiple times as a crowd cheered. One of the gunmen declared in Arabic, “The death sentence has been decided for all collaborators,” before the executions, according to an English translation shared with The Telegraph by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis, according to the New York Post.
The attackers left handwritten notes on the bodies reading: “Your betrayal will not pass without punishment. A harsh punishment awaits”.Hamas’ ministry of the interior described the men as a “group of outlaws” who had collaborated with Israel, while a Palestinian security official told Reuters that the executions were carried out by the “Joint Operations Room of the Palestinian resistance”. Armed groups including the Qassam Brigades, Islamic Jihad, and Mujahideen Brigades reportedly took part in the killings, as per the New York Post.One of those executed, Yasser Abu Shabab, was singled out as a “major collaborator.” He led a clan reportedly armed by Israel and operating in Rafah, an area under Israeli control. The clan positioned itself as opposition to Hamas, though Abu Shabab denied that Israel had supplied his group with weapons, reported the BBC.The incident follows a pattern of violent reprisals by Hamas against perceived dissenters. In May, Hamas executed six Palestinians accused of looting humanitarian aid and shot another 13 in the legs. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have continued their operations in Gaza City, targeting Hamas infrastructure and fighters. The Israeli military stated its objectives include freeing hostages held by Hamas and defeating up to 3,000 militants in what it calls the group’s “main stronghold”. The offensive, which began in response to Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, has killed at least 65,344 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
