BBC Tuesday A video surfaced showing Hamas militants executing eight Palestinian prisoners in a public space in Gaza, with a crowd around them cheering, chanting “Allah Akbar!” during the act.
The BBC decided not to release the footage, citing its gruesome nature, but noted how its technicians verified the authenticity, particularly the characteristics of the streets surrounding the execution site. Reuters confirmed a “Hamas source” claimed the video was genuine and indicated it started spreading on Monday night.
Hamas reportedly admitted to the killings, labeling the victims as “criminals and Israeli collaborators.” During the Gaza war, a significant number of Palestinians were killed under similar allegations of cooperating with Israel.
According to Ynet News, one of the executed prisoners was Ahmad Zidan al-Tarabin, noted as “the head of agent recruitment for the Abu Shabab militia.” Yasser Abu Shabab, known as a prominent gang leader outside of Hamas, leads a group referred to as the People’s Army. Sources have mentioned that Shabab and other militia leaders have become prime targets for Hamas’s death squads.
The BBC suggested that the latest victim may have been captured during clashes over control in post-war Gaza, an area patrolled by various clans and gangs. A member of the Dagmushu family, engaged in conflict with Hamas, condemned the execution as a “criminal” act.
At least 27 individuals died in clashes after Hamas fighters and Dagmush combatants engaged near a hospital in Gaza City last weekend. Medical officials reported that 19 of the deceased were part of the Dagmush clan, indicating Hamas’s apparent advantage in this ongoing struggle.
Witnesses noted that Hamas deployed over 300 fighters into the area, which was previously a stronghold for Dagmush. Civilians were reportedly terrified and fled during the altercations.
“This time, people weren’t running from an Israeli attack. They were fleeing from their own people,” shared a disheartened resident of Gaza City.
Hamas’s Ministry of Interior stated that their forces were retaliating against an “armed attack by militias.” However, sources from the Dagmush family assert that Hamas targeted the hospital to establish a stronghold where family members had sought refuge after their home was leveled during an Israeli assault.
Ynet News indicated that Hamas used ambulances to position militants around the Dagmush base. Family members claimed that as many as 52 of their relatives perished during the assault.
“This is a massacre. They are dragging people out, children are dying screaming, and they are burning our homes. What did we do wrong?” lamented a daughter of a Dagmushu fighter.
I24 News reported that since releasing Israeli hostages on Monday morning, over 30 Palestinians have been executed by Hamas for alleged “treason and collaboration.” Many among the victims were connected to rival armed groups, including the Dagmush clan.
Residents of Gaza noted an increase in Hamas fighters deployed along key routes necessary for aid distributions, with Palestinian security sources indicating numerous fatalities in conflicts between Hamas and rival factions recently.
