Hamas fighters executed at least eight blindfolded men in the streets of Gaza City on October 13, 2025, labeling them "collaborators with Israel" and "outlaws," just as U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning for the group to disarm or face forced intervention. Graphic videos circulating on social media platforms like X and Telegram show masked gunmen in green Hamas headbands forcing the badly beaten victims to kneel in a public square, before shooting them at point-blank range amid chants of "Allahu Akbar" from an encircling crowd. The footage, which has amassed millions of views despite content warnings, underscores the fragile post-ceasefire power vacuum in the enclave.
Hamas issued a terse statement claiming the men were "criminals" involved in aid looting and gang violence during Israel's two-year offensive, but provided no evidence to substantiate the accusations. The killings, part of a broader "security campaign" targeting rival clans like the powerful Doghmush family in areas such as Shuja'iyya, have resulted in at least 33 deaths since the ceasefire took hold on October 10, 2025, according to Gaza health officials and security sources cited by Reuters and CNN. These reprisals follow the Israeli Defense Forces' (IDF) withdrawal from key northern zones, including Gaza City, where Hamas' black-masked police have swiftly resumed patrols after largely vanishing amid airstrikes that decimated their ranks—killing hundreds, per Hamas accounts.
The resurgence of Hamas' security apparatus comes after a chaotic interlude where powerful family-based armed groups and alleged Israel-backed factions filled the void, hijacking humanitarian convoys and exacerbating Gaza's famine crisis. Nahed Sheheiber, head of Gaza's private truckers' union, told the Associated Press that these gangs "terrorized people under the cover of occupation," operating in Israeli-designated "red zones" and profiting from stolen aid. While some Gazans, like medic Saeed Abu Elaish from Jabaliya refugee camp, view the crackdown as a step toward "normalcy and safety" after months of lawlessness, others fear it signals Hamas' refusal to relinquish power.
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Trump, speaking from the White House on October 14, acknowledged the executions with a mix of pragmatism and menace. "They've taken out a couple of gangs that were very bad... that didn't bother me much," he said, referring to the gang purges. But he doubled down on his ceasefire blueprint, which mandates Hamas disarmament in phase two, followed by the group's handover of governance to an internationally supervised body. "They will disarm, and if they don't, we will disarm them—and it'll happen quickly and perhaps violently," Trump warned, declining to specify timelines or methods but insisting on a "reasonable period." This echoes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stance that the war—ignited by Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack killing 1,200 Israelis—cannot end without the militants' total dismantlement.
The truce, brokered by Trump and hailed as a breakthrough after all living hostages were released (with bodies of the deceased handed over via the Red Cross), now teeters on this disarmament hurdle. Hamas has signaled willingness for "further negotiations" on power transition but rejects chaos during the shift, insisting it won't allow rivals to dominate. Israeli officials, wary of Hamas rebuilding its arsenal even under nominal oversight, have hinted at resuming operations if compliance falters. Regional mediators like Qatar have confirmed disarmament talks are slated for the coming days, amid fears of renewed clashes.
Gaza's health ministry reports over 43,000 Palestinian deaths from the conflict, with half a million facing famine per UN data. The enclave's reconstruction—projected at $50 billion—hinges on stability, yet intra-Palestinian violence risks derailing aid flows of 600 trucks daily. Analysts from the International Crisis Group warn that without third-party enforcement, Trump's plan could unravel, potentially drawing in U.S. or Arab forces. As Gazans navigate rubble-strewn streets with cautious hope, the executions serve as a grim reminder that peace remains elusive while armed factions vie for dominance.
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