Violent clashes have erupted across Gaza between Hamas and rival factions, raising concerns over the territory’s security following Israel’s partial withdrawal.
Among the incidents is an apparent public execution that has drawn widespread attention on social media.
A particularly graphic video shows masked fighters, some wearing green Hamas headbands, executing eight blindfolded men in a square in Gaza City while crowds watch.
The footage is thought to reflect the harsh methods Hamas is employing to reassert its authority as the area’s security force.
CNN confirmed that the video was filmed in the al Sabra neighborhood of western Gaza City, though it could not independently verify the timing of the incident.
Analysts believe it likely occurred after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect, as Israeli forces were previously operating in the area.
Damage to nearby buildings, consistent with wartime destruction, suggests the footage is recent.
In the video, the detainees, all adult men, are dragged into the square with their hands tied behind their backs. Some appear partially stripped and barefoot. Fighters are seen striking prisoners as they line up for execution, cheering after shooting them.
The Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, a Palestinian NGO, condemned the incident as an “extrajudicial execution of citizens” and called for an investigation to hold perpetrators accountable.
Hamas-affiliated security group Radaa described the killings differently, saying it “conducted a precise operation in the center of Gaza City, resulting in the neutralization of several wanted individuals and outlaws.” The statement provided no evidence to support the claim.
Radaa added that it had taken control of key positions in Gaza City and “conducted sweeps and arrests of individuals who participated in shootings, the killing of displaced persons, and attacks on civilians.”
The video emerged after days of clashes between Hamas and the Doghmush family, a powerful clan based in al Sabra.
The office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the killings, calling them “heinous crimes” and “a blatant violation of human rights,” according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Abbas’ office stated that Hamas would be held responsible “for these crimes that harm the supreme interests of the Palestinian people.”
Earlier reports from Hamas-affiliated Telegram channels suggested the violence began after the death of a son of a senior Hamas military commander.
Al-Mezan said it had received accounts of gunfights between armed family members and gunmen in the Sabra and Tel al-Hawa neighborhoods following the ceasefire.
“The clashes resulted in casualties among both the family members and the attacking force. After the arrest of several family members, the video showing the execution of several citizens was circulated widely on social media,” Al-Mezan reported, adding that no official statement had been released by local authorities.
Radaa claimed in a statement on Monday that it was conducting “wide-ranging security operations resulting in the arrest of a large number of collaborators and individuals operating outside the law.”
The group said it detained “lawless elements” who fired at security forces and those “implicated in cooperating with an armed militia and recruiting collaborators during the war” in southern Gaza.
The Doghmush family strongly condemned the attacks. “We are shocked by a distressing internal campaign targeting our innocent sons, involving killing, intimidation, torture, and burning of homes with their residents inside, without any justification and under false pretexts that bear no relation to reality,” the family said.
The statement added that the family lost around 600 members during the war and accused Israeli forces of targeting them after the family “firmly and completely rejected all attempts by the occupation to win it over or recruit it to work on its behalf.”
“What is happening today is a heinous crime committed against a family known for its steadfastness, resolve, and rejection of all forms of collaboration and treachery,” the family said. “We hold all those who participated in, contributed to, or remained silent about these crimes fully responsible before God and history.”
The execution video has been widely circulated, including by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which said it shows why Hamas “must go.” “The terror group rules through fear – executing civilians, torturing dissenters, shooting those who dare protest. Palestinians seeking food or freedom are met with bullets, not compassion. It’s not resistance – It’s tyranny,” the ministry said.
The video emerged shortly after US President Donald Trump indicated he had allowed Hamas to police Gaza temporarily. Speaking on Monday while traveling to the Middle East, Trump said, “They do want to stop the problems. They’ve been open about it and we gave them approval for a period of time.”
Israel continues to press for Hamas’ complete disarmament as part of the ceasefire.
Trump’s 20-point peace plan, published last week, offered amnesty to “Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons.”
Regarding Hamas’ temporary authority, Trump said on Air Force One, “They lost probably 60,000 people. That’s a lot of retribution. You have close to 2 million people going back to buildings that have been demolished, and a lot of bad things can happen. So we want it to be safe. I think it’s gonna be fine … who knows for sure … but I think it’s gonna be fine.”
