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Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad gunmen in Gaza City in March. Credit: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad gunmen in Gaza City in March. Credit: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
Hamas said on Thursday that it has executed a man for collaborating with Israel, saying he helped the Israeli military assassinate the group’s former military chief, Izz a-Din al-Haddad, in May.
Hamas’ Resistance Security unit, which serves as the group’s internal security apparatus, said the execution was the first of its sort since September. Sources affiliated with Hamas in Gaza told Haaretz that the man, who the group says caused the deaths of numerous Palestinians, was executed mainly to send a message to potential collaborators.
The killing is also meant to show Israel and the international community that Hamas is still in control despite the war and the serious losses suffered by its military and financial assets, the sources said.
Sources in Gaza who are not affiliated with Hamas told Haaretz that, despite public resentment, the group continues to see itself as a key political force fighting for its power and standing in Gaza.