On Tuesday, Hamas further consolidated its control over Gaza’s devastated cities, executing alleged collaborators amid a crackdown, while US President Donald Trump pledged to disarm the organization.
The Israeli army reported that the remains of four more hostages held in Gaza have been returned to Israel, following the return of four other bodies and the release of the last 20 surviving hostages by Hamas the previous day.
Hamas released a video via its official channel depicting the street execution of eight blindfolded suspects on their knees, labeling them as “collaborators and criminals.”
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The video, seemingly from Monday night, surfaced during armed confrontations between various Hamas security units and armed Palestinian groups within the territory, on the fifth day of a US-mediated truce between Hamas and Israel.
In northern Gaza, as Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza City, Hamas’s black-masked armed police resumed their street patrols.
Upon the arrival of busloads of prisoners released from Israeli jails in Gaza on Monday, Hamas’s Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades managed crowd control efforts.
Meanwhile, a Hamas security unit has been actively pursuing operations against armed clans and gangs, some of which are suspected of having Israeli support.
“Intense clashes have erupted — and continue at present — as part of efforts to eliminate collaborators,” said witness Yahya, who requested anonymity for safety reasons.
Explosions and Arrests
Another Gaza resident, Mohammed, informed AFP: “There were prolonged heavy clashes this morning between Hamas security forces and the Hilles family members.”
The conflict took place in Shujaiya, eastern Gaza City, near the so-called Yellow Line, beyond which Israeli units still control about half of Gaza.
“We heard intense gunfire and explosions, and security forces apprehended some of them. We support this,” Mohammed stated, also seeking anonymity.
A Palestinian security source in Gaza told AFP that Hamas’s security body, a newly formed unit called the “Deterrence Force,” is performing “ongoing field operations to ensure security and stability.”
“Our message is clear: There will be no sanctuary for criminals or those threatening citizen security,” he declared.
Troops Open Fire
Since overpowering rival Fatah in 2007, Hamas has maintained dominance as the leading Palestinian faction in Gaza.
Israel insists that Hamas must be excluded from any future Gaza government, return the remains of all deceased hostages, and eventually disarm.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Tuesday that the US plan for Gaza is “very explicit” that once Hamas returns the captives, “demilitarization and disarmament” will commence.
“Initially, Hamas must relinquish its weapons, and secondly, ensure there are no weapon factories within Gaza and no arms smuggling,” he told CBS News.
US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan offers amnesty to Hamas members who agree to “decommission their weapons.”
“If they fail to disarm, we will do it for them,” Trump told reporters at the White House after visiting the Middle East to commemorate the Gaza ceasefire.
“And it will occur swiftly and potentially with force.”
The document, endorsed Monday by global leaders at a Trump-led summit in Egypt, specifies that Gaza will be demilitarized and Hamas excluded from leadership roles.
Reassuring Presence
However, for many Palestinians rebuilding their homes and lives amidst Gaza’s ruins on Tuesday, the presence of militants was comforting.
“After the war concluded and police reappeared on the streets, we began to feel secure,” said 34-year-old Abu Fadi Al-Banna from Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
Hamdiya Shammiya, 40, displaced by conflict from her northern Gaza home to seek refuge in southern Khan Yunis, concurred.
“Thank God the war has finally ended. We can breathe a bit now,” she remarked.
While Palestinians sought stability, Israeli families increased pressure for the return of the deceased hostages’ remains still in Gaza.
Bodies Identified
The agreement called for the return of all missing persons — both living and dead — and hostage families and Israeli officials have urged Hamas to comply.
Among the returned deceased hostages, the military identified two as Guy Iluz, an Israeli citizen, and Bipin Joshi, a Nepalese agriculture student.
Subsequently, the Families Forum, which advocates for hostage release, identified the other two as Yossi Sharabi and Daniel Peretz, an Israeli army officer.
“We can finally bring closure to the nightmare that began over two years ago and give Yossi the dignified and loving burial he deserves,” his wife Nira Sharabi stated, as quoted by the forum.
In Tel Aviv, people gathered to celebrate the release of living hostages and demand the return of the others’ remains.
“I don’t know what to feel because I didn’t think this day would come when all the living hostages would return,” demonstrator Barak Cohen told AFP.
“But I still see major challenges in retrieving the remaining deceased hostages,” he added.
