Hamas Executes Rivals in Gaza After Hostage Release Amid Fragile Ceasefire

In a shocking escalation of internal violence, Hamas has turned its weapons inward, executing rivals and engaging in fierce clashes across Gaza just days after releasing Israeli hostages under a US-brokered ceasefire. The militant group’s crackdown, seen as an attempt to reassert control, has left dozens dead and raised fresh concerns about stability in the war-torn enclave.

According to reports, Hamas firing squads executed at least eight people accused of collaborating with Israel and belonging to rival militias. The executions, reportedly conducted in semi-public settings, were captured on video circulating across local platforms, showing masked gunmen carrying out the sentences on blindfolded detainees.

The violence intensified when Hamas’ internal security forces clashed with the Doghmush clan, one of Gaza’s most powerful armed groups known for its defiance of Hamas authority. At least 52 Doghmush clan members were killed, along with 12 Hamas fighters, including the son of senior official Bassem Naim. Witnesses claim Hamas gunmen used ambulances to infiltrate the clan’s neighbourhood — a move widely condemned for endangering civilians.

Sources cited by Israeli media suggested that the Doghmush clan had received limited support from Israel, further fuelling Hamas’ anger. The Islamist group also claimed to have neutralised a close aide of Yasser Abu Shabab, another militia leader accused of cooperating with foreign forces.

Analysts say the latest violence marks Hamas’ brutal effort to consolidate power after emerging from months of underground warfare. Joe Truzman, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), said the group’s elite “Arrow Unit,” infamous for targeting civilians, spearheaded the assault. His colleague Ahmad Sharawi described the operation as Hamas “settling internal scores” to suppress dissent before disarmament talks resume.

“The group wants to prove it still controls Gaza’s streets,” Sharawi noted. “This is about restoring dominance, not restoring peace.”

Residents in Gaza now fear a cycle of clan-based retribution, which could derail the fragile ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas. Under the peace deal, Hamas is expected to disarm and relinquish governance, but the group continues to reject both conditions, proposing instead to hand over administrative duties to local Palestinian factions.

Despite international mediation, Israel maintains a firm stance, demanding full disarmament and troop presence until Hamas’ militant capacity is dismantled. As Gaza reels from fresh bloodshed, hopes for lasting peace appear increasingly uncertain.