Hamas on Saturday threatened "radical measures" against Palestinian Arabs who "collaborated" with Israel, a week after one of its senior terrorists was murdered.
Iyad al-Bozum, a spokesman for the interior ministry in Gaza, said measures to be taken soon could mean arrests, trials and even executions, according to AFP.
The threats come after senior Hamas terrorist Mazen Faqha was shot dead by unknown gunmen on March 24.
Hamas officials were quick to blame Israel for Faqha’s death and said they believe the killers received help from inside Gaza. Israel has not commented on the shooting.
Faqha was a senior Hamas official in Judea and Samaria who was behind many terrorist attacks against Israelis and was a senior member of the group’s so-called “military wing”.
He was sentenced in 2003 to nine life terms in Israel after being convicted of sending a terrorist to carry out a suicide bombing attack. He was released as part of the 2011 Shalit deal and exiled to Gaza.
In the past, Hamas has executed alleged “collaborators” with Israel, ignoring a moratorium on death sentences that was imposed by Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas.