Did hamas line up Palestinians for execution?
Executive summary
Video footage geolocated and reporting by multiple outlets documents public executions carried out by Hamas fighters in Gaza in September–October 2025, including incidents showing men forced to kneel and then shot; Reuters, BBC, NYT and other outlets report specific executions (e.g., three men on 23 Sept and an execution of eight in mid‑October) and note social‑media videos and local confirmations [1] [2] [3]. Human‑rights bodies and regional officials condemned the killings and some reporting notes Hamas framed the actions as punishment for “collaborators” or “lawbreakers” while others see them as an assertion of control [4] [5].
1. What the available reporting shows: filmed public executions and geolocation
Major news organisations and independent verifiers published videos and geolocation analysis showing armed men executing Palestinians in Gaza streets; Reuters says it confirmed location and that a Hamas source acknowledged fighter participation, while the BBC verified footage of a public execution in central Gaza City [1] [2]. The New York Times reports fighters forced eight men to kneel and shot them in a crowded street in mid‑October [3].
2. Who was targeted — collaborators, rivals, or criminals?
Hamas and affiliated channels described the victims as “collaborators” with Israel or “lawbreakers”; Reuters and regional outlets cite Hamas statements that three men executed were accused of collaboration, and Hamas internal security framed killings as responses to attacks on its militants [1] [3]. Independent commentators and human‑rights bodies describe the acts as extrajudicial executions rather than judicial proceedings [5] [4].
3. Scale, timeline and uncertainty in numbers
Reports refer to multiple episodes between late September and October 2025. Reuters and other outlets document specific executions (three men in late September; further public killings in October), and aggregated reporting notes dozens killed in clashes and "as of mid‑October" counts vary—some sources cite roughly 33 total killings in the period, while exact totals remain unclear in reporting [6] [1]. Available sources do not provide a single independently verified overall death toll.
4. Why analysts and local actors see these acts as an assertion of control
Several analysts and Palestinian voices interpret the killings as part of Hamas’s drive to reassert power after Israeli withdrawals under a ceasefire; a Palestinian lawyer cited by reporting says the measures are meant to “send a signal” and intimidate rivals and clans [6] [4]. The New York Times and Times of Israel describe the executions in context of Hamas redeploying police and security forces into areas vacated by Israeli troops [3] [7].
5. Pushback, condemnation and political consequences
Human‑rights groups and Palestinian institutions publicly condemned the extrajudicial killings; the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) called for accountability and protection of rights [5]. International reactions include alarm that such actions could destabilise ceasefire arrangements and complicate proposed governance plans for Gaza [1] [8].
6. Competing narratives and evidence limits
Hamas defends the killings as “exceptional measures” against criminals or collaborators; Reuters quotes a Hamas official’s defence and local statements attributing the actions to internal security efforts [6] [1]. Other sources and verification efforts caution that some online claims (e.g., killings of children or elderly women) lack corroborating evidence; FDD/Long War Journal and other analysts flag gaps in proof for some circulated allegations [9] [8].
7. What is not established in current reporting
Available sources document filmed executions and cite Hamas participation, but they do not provide court records, independent judicial findings, or comprehensive victim lists that would establish lawful procedure or guilt beyond the accusations posted by Hamas [1] [2]. Available sources do not mention any independent, transparent trials tied to these killings.
8. Bottom line for readers
Contemporary reporting from Reuters, BBC, NYT, ABC and others confirms that Hamas fighters carried out filmed public executions of Palestinians in Gaza in Sept–Oct 2025 and that the group framed targets as collaborators or criminals while critics call the acts extrajudicial and politically motivated [1] [2] [3] [4]. Discrepancies remain over the total number of victims and some specific claims circulating online lack independent verification; readers should treat uncorroborated social‑media claims with caution and rely on multiple independent verifications where available [8].