Palestinian Authority (PA) Security Forces spokesman Brigadier General Anwar Rajab blasted Hamas over its crackdown on alleged collaborators and accused the group of using "ISIS-like savage" behavior to terrorize the population in Gaza.
His comments were made in an interview last week with the PA-affiliated Awda TV and were translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
Rajab stated that Hamas should crack down on the thieves within its own ranks, who have exacerbated the suffering of the Gaza population. He also charged that theft and thievery were a "strategy" for Hamas, adding that Hamas has a culture of violence, killing, and theft.
"What was the point of the public execution of eight men from the Dughmush family? This behavior reminds everyone of ISIS's behavior. This should not come as a surprise, because they share the same methods and ideological roots. Ultimately, Hamas exposed its ISIS character in full," he said.
Rajab’s comments followed Hamas’s public executions of several individuals in Gaza suspected of collaborating with Israel or being involved in the internal conflict between the terror organization and clans or militias in the Strip.
Those executions took place just hours after Hamas released the 20 living hostages it had been holding in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Several weeks earlier, social media pages affiliated with Hamas published chilling footage showing the public execution of three Gazans in Gaza City. Hamas accused the three men of collaborating with Israel.
The videos show three blindfolded men with their hands tied, surrounded by a large crowd that included children. Armed Hamas terrorists are seen standing over the accused, before they carry out the execution.
Hamas regularly carries out executions in the Gaza Strip, even though all execution orders must be approved by Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas, who is based in Ramallah and who imposed a moratorium on executions several years ago.
Hamas no longer recognizes Abbas’s legitimacy, and has in the past emphatically declared that the death penalty in Gaza can be carried out without his consent.