Hamas Executes Rivals in Gaza After Ceasefire
Hours after releasing the final 20 living Israeli hostages as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Hamas publicly executed at least eight Palestinians in Gaza City on Monday, marking a violent reassertion of control as Israeli forces withdrew from the territory. The executions, captured in verified video footage and authenticated by multiple news organizations, occurred just days after the October 9 ceasefire agreement took effect, raising immediate concerns about the sustainability of President Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
Bloody Crackdown on Rival Groups
The video shows eight blindfolded and severely beaten men kneeling in a street in Gaza City’s al-Sabra neighborhood before being shot by masked Hamas gunmen wearing green headbands in front of a cheering crowd. Hamas claimed without evidence that the victims were “criminals and collaborators with Israel,” though human rights organizations have described the killings as extrajudicial executions.
Among those killed was Ahmad Zidan al-Tarabin, who was reportedly involved in recruiting members for a rival non-Hamas-aligned militia. The executions came after violent clashes over the weekend between Hamas security forces and the powerful Doghmush clan, resulting in at least 52 clan members and 12 Hamas fighters killed, including the son of senior Hamas official Bassem Naim.
“Children are screaming and dying, they’re burning our houses.”
— Member of the Doghmush clan, as reported by Ynet
The Doghmush family issued a statement expressing shock at what they called “an alarming internal campaign against their innocent members, involving killings, intimidation, torture, and the burning of homes with residents inside”. The clan, which has had a volatile relationship with Hamas alternating between cooperation and confrontation, reported losing approximately 600 members during the two-year conflict with Israel.
Trump’s Controversial Authorization
The executions occurred shortly after President Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One on Monday, suggested he had authorized Hamas to “manage internal security in Gaza as it sees fit” under the ceasefire agreement. When asked about reports of Hamas reasserting itself as a policing authority and targeting rivals, Trump stated, “They do want to stop the problems, and they’ve been open about it, and we gave them approval for a period of time”.
Trump added that with nearly 2 million Palestinians returning to destroyed buildings, “a lot of bad things can happen,” and emphasized the need for safety in the territory. The statement raised immediate questions about how Trump’s peace plan envisions Hamas disarmament, a key Israeli demand for ending the conflict permanently.
Trump’s 20-point peace plan calls for Hamas to permanently disarm and relinquish control of Gaza, with governance transitioning to an independent Palestinian technocratic body under international supervision. However, the militant group has repeatedly stated that disarmament is “out of the question”.
Hamas Consolidates Control
Since the ceasefire took effect on Friday, Hamas has deployed internal security personnel throughout Gaza in what it describes as “extensive security operations” to restore order and prevent lawlessness. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry announced it was apprehending “lawless elements” who had fired on security forces and individuals accused of collaborating with armed militias during the conflict.
A Hamas security official told Reuters that forces had eliminated 32 members of “a gang associated with a family in Gaza City,” with six of their own personnel killed in the process. The group has also issued warnings that it would continue to target what it calls collaborators, armed looters, and drug dealers.
“Hamas is conveying a message: ‘We are present. We are the exclusive power in Gaza.’”
— Tamer Qarmout, political analyst and academic from Gaza
The Israeli government acknowledged that it had attempted to destabilize Hamas’s authority during the war by supporting competing Palestinian clans in Gaza, though the outcomes have been inconsistent. Israel has used the video of the executions to argue for Hamas’s complete dismantlement, with the Israeli Ministry stating that the footage “illustrates the necessity for Hamas to be dismantled”.
Trump Reverses Course with Threat
By Thursday, Trump appeared to reverse his earlier stance, issuing a stern warning to Hamas on his Truth Social platform, stating:
If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
— Donald Trump via Truth Social
After making the threatening remark, Trump clarified that he does not intend to deploy U.S. troops into Gaza. When asked who would carry out such an operation, Trump stated, “It’s not going to be us. We won’t have to. There are individuals close, nearby that can go in and they’ll handle it quite efficiently, but under our guidance”. While Trump did not specify whether he was referring to Israel, any military action by Israeli forces could potentially breach the ceasefire terms.
The dramatic shift came just days after Trump had minimized the violence, remarking that Hamas had eliminated “a couple of gangs that were very bad” and adding, “It didn’t bother me much to be honest with you”.
Questions About Peace Plan Viability
The violence has raised serious concerns about the sustainability of the ceasefire and Trump’s broader peace plan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted the war cannot end until Hamas surrenders its weapons and relinquishes control of Gaza—demands the group has consistently rejected.
Despite Trump’s declaration Monday that “the war is over,” the situation on the ground suggests otherwise. Israeli drone strikes killed five Palestinians in Gaza City on Tuesday as individuals checked on their homes, with health authorities reporting at least six total deaths since the ceasefire began. Hamas has accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire, while the Israeli military stated it targeted individuals who crossed designated truce lines and ignored warnings to retreat.
The first phase of the ceasefire required Hamas to release all living and dead hostages within 72 hours in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, complications have already emerged, with Hamas returning only four of the 28 deceased hostages it was supposed to hand over, triggering immediate Israeli sanctions and family outrage.
International Concerns
The public executions and ongoing clashes have drawn widespread international condemnation. Human rights organizations have called the killings extrajudicial executions and violations of international humanitarian law. The International Committee of the Red Cross and aid agencies continue pressing for respect of human rights as control dynamics shift in the enclave.
The situation has also complicated Trump’s vision for Gaza’s future governance. The peace plan envisions a Gaza devoid of Hamas’s influence, governed by a Palestinian committee under international oversight, with plans for an international stabilization mission to train and support a Palestinian police force. However, Hamas’s violent reassertion of control suggests the group has no intention of relinquishing authority voluntarily.
As negotiations on phase two of the peace plan are set to begin, covering full Israeli military withdrawal, international reconstruction, and political arrangements for Gaza’s governance, the recent violence has cast doubt on whether all parties can uphold their commitments. Much depends on continued diplomatic engagement, successful implementation of humanitarian pledges, and whether Hamas can be persuaded or compelled to disarm as the plan requires.CNN. 2025. “Masked Hamas fighters seen executing men in Gaza City.” October 14, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/14/middleeast/gaza-public-execution-gaza-city-hamas-intl.
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