Three Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel were publicly executed by Hamas gunmen outside Shifa Hospital in central Gaza City, an area currently at the heart of Israel’s major ground offensive. Footage, verified by BBC Verify, showed five masked and armed militants forcing three blindfolded men to kneel before shooting them multiple times in the back of the head as a crowd watched and cheered for Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades.
Before the killing, one assailant announced, “The death sentence has been decided for all collaborators,” while notes left on the bodies warned that “Your betrayal will not pass without punishment. A harsh punishment awaits”. The executions—a rare public display in Gaza captured on video—were carried out by the “Joint Operations Room of the Palestinian resistance,” a Hamas government security official told Reuters. These groups included the Qassam Brigades, Islamic Jihad, and Mujahideen Brigades.
The most prominent of the anti-Hamas rebels is Yasser Abu Shabaab, leads a clan in Rafah, operating in the Israeli-controlled southern Gaza Strip, and has been portrayed as an opposition force to Hamas. While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel’s support for clans opposed to Hamas, Abu Shabab publicly denied receiving Israeli weapons.
The incident highlights a growing crisis within Gaza, as Hamas’s firm hold on the territory faces unprecedented strain. Over the past year, armed Palestinian groups, including Abu Shabab’s, have gained a foothold, advertising on social media for recruits and reportedly offering salaries ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 shekels. Residents say other anti-Hamas factions are also active in northern areas like Beit Lahia and Shejaiya, as well as Khan Younis in the southeast.
Hamas has previously responded to dissent with violence, including the execution of Palestinians accused of looting humanitarian aid. Earlier in May, Hamas-led groups reportedly executed four people for looting aid trucks and shot 13 others in the legs.
Amid the ongoing Israeli offensive, which began after Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and saw 251 hostages taken, Israeli troops claim to have dismantled significant Hamas infrastructure and are focused on eliminating Hamas fighters and freeing hostages. The war has inflicted a staggering cost on Gaza, with over 65,000 deaths reported by the Hamas-run health ministry, and vast swathes of the urban population enduring famine and forced displacement.
As Hamas’s authority wanes, armed clans and resistance groups are filling the vacuum—challenging Hamas’s control and fueling further conflict in the region.