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Hamas intends to maintain security control in Gaza and defended public executions against Palestinians that followed a peace deal with Israel that ended the two sides' yearslong war.
Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal claimed that "exceptional measures" needed to be taken in Gaza in a statement to Reuters addressing criticism for the public killings that took place on Monday (October 13), while also refusing to commit to the group disarming, a key demand by President Donald Trump in the deal brokered with Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a response to Reuters confirming it was committed to upholding its side of the ceasefire agreement.
"Hamas is supposed to release all hostages in stage 1. It has not. Hamas knows where the bodies of our hostages are. Hamas are to be disarmed under this agreement. No ifs, no buts. They have not. Hamas need to adhere to the 20-point plan. They are running out of time," the office said.
Videos shared online show eight blindfolded and badly beaten men kneeling in the street before being shot to death by militant gunmen in front of a cheering crowd, with Hamas claiming the killings targeted "criminals and collaborators with Israel," despite not providing evidence. Ahmad Zidan al-Tarabin, who was reportedly responsible for recruiting agents to a rival non-Hamas-aligned militia, was identified as one of the men killed in the public executions, according to the Israeli outlet Ynet via the New York Post.
Hamas reportedly reasserted its control over Gaza following the withdrawal of Israel Defense Forces in adherence with the peace agreement. The militant group reportedly targeted the "clans," which are family-based armed groups that grew stronger during the war in Gaza, and began deadly reprisals even prior to the signing of the peace deal with Israel on Monday, according to the New York Post.
Fifty-two members of the Doghmush clan and 12 Hamas militants, including the son of senior official Bassem Naim, were reportedly killed during clashes between the two groups on Sunday (October 12), according to reports in Gaza. All of the 20 remaining living Israeli hostages were released by Hamas on Monday as part of the first phase of the agreement.
A previous ceasefire lasted from January 19 to March 18, which was followed by a barrage of deadly airstrikes launched by Israel across the Gaza Strip.