Hamas Conducts Public Executions in Gaza as Trump Demands Disarmament: Ceasefire Tensions Escalate

The disturbing footage from Monday evening captured the street execution of eight men in Gaza.

Hamas is reportedly conducting public executions in Gaza as part of its desperate efforts to maintain control over the Palestinian territory, even as US President Donald Trump has promised to disarm the militant organization. Videos depicting these brutal reprisals have spread across social media platforms, showing Hamas clashing with other armed Palestinian clans in its struggle to retain authority following a US-mediated ceasefire with Israel.

The footage from Monday evening shows eight men, blindfolded and kneeling in the street after apparent beatings, being executed by gunmen wearing the green headbands associated with Hamas. The group labeled these men as "collaborators and outlaws." During the execution, chants of 'Allahu Akbar' (God is greatest in Arabic) can be heard from surrounding onlookers.

Hamas claimed in a statement, without providing evidence, that the victims were "criminals and collaborators with Israel."

Following the Israeli Defense Forces' withdrawal from certain areas, Hamas has swiftly moved to reassert its authority over Gaza, targeting family-based armed groups known as "clans" that had gained influence during the conflict.

As the ceasefire continues to hold, Hamas security forces have returned to patrol the streets, particularly in northern Gaza where Israeli troops have withdrawn from Gaza City. Hamas-run police, recognizable by their black masks, have resumed operations after largely disappearing during months of Israeli military operations that targeted Hamas security infrastructure.

These Hamas police forces had maintained public security in Gaza since the group took power 18 years ago, while simultaneously suppressing dissent. During their absence, powerful local families and armed gangs – including some anti-Hamas factions allegedly supported by Israel – filled the security vacuum. Many stand accused of hijacking humanitarian aid and selling it for profit, exacerbating Gaza's starvation crisis.

Nahed Sheheiber, who heads Gaza's private truckers union, told the Associated Press that Hamas was acting against gangs that had terrorized civilians in areas under Israeli control. "Those gangs looted aid and killed people under the protection of the Israeli occupation," he stated, adding that they operated in evacuation zones designated by Israel.

Trump commented on Tuesday that Hamas had eliminated "a couple of gangs that were very bad" and killed several gang members, stating, "That didn't bother me much, to be honest with you." However, he reiterated his demand for Hamas to surrender their weapons, warning, "They will disarm, and if they don't do so, we will disarm them, and it'll happen quickly and perhaps violently."

The US president declined to provide specific details on how Washington would accomplish this, only saying when asked about a timeline that it would occur within "a reasonable period of time."

This display of force by Hamas, which some Palestinians have welcomed after months of lawlessness, could potentially threaten the ceasefire now that all living hostages taken during Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack have been released.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently maintained that the conflict will not end until Hamas is completely dismantled. President Trump's ceasefire plan requires Hamas to disarm and transfer power to an internationally supervised body that has yet to be established.

Hamas has not fully accepted these conditions, indicating that further negotiations are necessary. The group states it is willing to transfer power to other Palestinians but refuses to allow chaos during any transition period. Israeli officials fear that as long as Hamas retains its weapons, it will continue to influence Gaza and potentially rebuild its military capabilities, even if an independent governing body is nominally in control.