Hamas Carries Out Wave of Public Executions in Bid to 'Reestablish its Rule' in Gaza
Having brought Gaza nothing but fire, destruction, and despair through its 2023 massacre of Israeli civilians, Hamas is now turning its guns inward — killing fellow Palestinians in a desperate bid to maintain control as a fragile ceasefire with Israel takes hold.
According to Reuters, Hamas has executed more than 30 people in recent days amid escalating clashes with rival factions. A gun battle in Gaza City between Hamas militants and an opposing gang reportedly left 32 gang members and six Hamas fighters dead.
Social media footage circulating online shows men dressed in Hamas uniforms executing three alleged “collaborators” in the streets as a mob cheered. The scenes underscore the terror group’s determination to rule by fear, even as Gazans begin openly questioning its legitimacy.
With Israeli forces pulling back and the ceasefire in effect, Gaza is now engulfed in chaos. As The Times of Israel reports, some residents believe Hamas’s rule is collapsing, creating a dangerous power vacuum.
Anti-Hamas activist Hussam al-Astal taunted the group in a video shared Sunday, saying that once Hamas finishes handing over Israeli hostages, “it will have no further role in Gaza.”
Fox News described the viral execution videos as a “warning” to the people of Gaza, intended to intimidate the population as surviving Hamas fighters emerge from hiding.
An Israeli official told the outlet that the killings are part of “Hamas’s deliberate attempt to reestablish its rule by terrorizing civilians.”
Political analyst Mukhaimar Abu Saada, speaking from Gaza, said that internal violence is far from over.
“We’re talking about an ideological organization. Even last night, people were killed in clashes between Hamas and local militias. It’s not a rosy road,” he said.
“They’re still strong. Part of the reason they didn’t fight harder in the last days is that they saved some men and weapons for the day after. I still see Hamas police in the streets of Gaza.”
Abu Saada added that under the peace plan advanced through President Donald Trump’s leadership, Hamas will eventually have to disarm completely if reconstruction is to begin.
“No Arab country will give a single dollar if Hamas doesn’t disarm,” he said. “Rebuilding Gaza depends on Hamas no longer being in control. The war is over, but the real test is only beginning.”
Ordinary Gazans describe a city teetering between anarchy and exhaustion.
“You cannot say the war is finished,” one resident told Fox News. “We have to wait a few weeks to see what happens. There are gangs in Gaza now; Hamas is trying to fight them. If they don’t unify, another war could start.”
Another man said the militant group’s strength has crumbled:
“Hamas is not strong like before. Those who remain are mostly police — not the real Hamas people who believe in their extremist jihadist ideology.”
Across Gaza, fear mixes with fatigue.
“No one knows what is happening — who will rule, what will happen with Hamas, and if the war is truly over,” a Gaza City resident said. “We hope for a better future. I just want me and my family to live without targeting, without bloodshed.”
Jacob Olidort, director of the Center for American Security at the America First Policy Institute, said Hamas is now “in the most militarily and diplomatically isolated place it has ever been.”
“Even before and after the release of hostages, Hamas has been defiant in tone,” Olidort noted. “But all of that will be overshadowed by the vast expansion of peace agreements between Israel and its neighbors. All of Israel’s regional partners are eager to normalize and build on where they left off prior to Oct. 7.”