Reports of Hamas executing rivals cause alarm in Gaza Strip
Reports, along with video material, indicate that Hamas is executing rivals and Palestinians it accuses of collaborating with Israel. The reports follow President Trump's remarks to journalists that the US has allowed the movement to retain its arms to establish order in Gaza.
Tel Aviv (dpa) - Reports of executions by the Palestinian militant Hamas movement and exchanges of fire with rival forces were alarming people in the Gaza Strip and beyond on Tuesday just the day after a hard-won ceasefire deal with Israel was signed.
A video was published on the platform X which is said to show a group execution of around eight people in a square south of Gaza City. The square is surrounded by a large crowd of onlookers.
Eyewitnesses told dpa by phone that Hamas accused the deceased of being collaborators with the Israeli military.
The authenticity of the video and the reports could not initially be independently verified.
It is unknown how Hamas selects execution candidates, as fair trials do not exist. In the videos that could not be immediately verified, some of the victims were apparently tortured before their execution.
Reports of summary trials
According to unconfirmed reports, there were summary trials in which members of the Hamas security apparatus passed death sentences.
Following the partial withdrawal of the Israeli army last week and the start of the ceasefire on Friday afternoon, there were also reports of shootings between Hamas units and rival gangs. Dozens of deaths are said to have occurred.
These reports could also not be independently verified initially.
US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan envisions the disarmament of Hamas in the medium term, and they are also to relinquish any exercise of power in the Gaza Strip.
US allowing Hamas to retain arms
In the short term, however, the US is apparently relying on the Islamists to maintain order. According to Trump, the US has allowed Hamas the temporary use of weapons.
Trump reportedly told journalists travelling with him on his flight to Israel, where he had given a speech to parliament earlier in the day, that his government had allowed Hamas to temporarily rearm. Hamas is trying to restore order after months of war, he said.
Speaking at the Israeli parliament later, however, Trump noted that many states in the Middle East wanted to see Hamas disarmed.