Palestinians in Gaza divided over Hamas' execution of five people
Palestinians in the besieged coastal enclave have criticised the Hamas-run interior ministry for executing five Palestinians two days ago after a five-year suspension in implementing capital punishment.
3 min read
Gazans criticize Hamas' execution of five people, others support. [Getty]
Palestinians in the besieged coastal enclave, the Gaza Strip,have criticised the Hamas-run interior ministry for two days ago after a five-year suspension of.
On Sunday, the authorities executed five Palestinians, including two condemned due to theircollaborationwith Israeland the remaining three overcriminal cases, according to apress statement by the authorities.
The statement added that the defendants were previously given "their full rights to defend themselves".
However, the executions sparked the residents' criticisms, with some accusing Hamas of being selectivein the death sentences.
Speaking to , Mohammed Abu Zeid, a relative of one of the executed persons, said he was shocked when he heard that Hamas will carry out the death sentence against his cousin after he spent more than 10 years in prison.
His relative was sentenced to death for killinga moneychanger in Khan Younis city in the south of the Gaza Strip.
"I am not supporting him (...) but he was a teenager and did not want to kill the man,"Abu Zeid said. "Hamas sentenced him to death because he has nointermediary with it or even officials related to it."
Amina Ahmed, a woman living in Gaza, said to that she was shocked by the news about the execution,mainly amid the difficultiesexperienced by the Gazans.
"I cannot imagine their families'emotions attheexecution,"the 48-year-old mother of four said."It is not rightto invite them to such tough events."
She notescrime rates have risen in the Gaza Strip as a result of the difficult economic and political conditions, especially poverty and unemployment.
"Hamas bears a part of the responsibility of increasing the crimes in our area,"the woman stressed. "It does not care aboutthe people or evenoffering security to them."
Ibrahim al-Astal, a resident of Khan Younis, questioned the reasoning for choosingspecifically these five individuals, despite somedetained for more than two decadeswhile for a few months ago.
"It seems that Hamas has itscalculations, without paying any attention to the law or even the deteriorating conditions of the population,"the 29-year-old teacher told .
"No one accepts that his son is a criminal (...)but the truth is that Hamas and Fatah are part of the spread of crime among the locals as a result of their 15-year political division, as well as the Israeli blockade," Al-Astal added.
Sami Shurrab, a Gaza-based man, adopts a different opinion. He supportsdeath sentences against "criminals"to deter other criminals from committing crimes.
"The main government's role is to implement the law, protect society from criminals and punish them if they commit crimes," he said. "Why should we feel sorry for the families of the criminals, while there are victims' families who also suffer from losing their loved ones?"
"The government institution is committed to implementing judicial rulings as long as all litigation procedures are fulfilled so that the implementation process remains in accordance with the lawaccording to what the interior ministry and national security deems appropriate,"Salama Maarouf, a senior official of Hamas government, said to .
"The execution sentences is part of the state of achieving general societal deterrence and maintaining the security and safety of society, especially that it is fully consistent with Palestinian law and the decisions of Islamic Sharia, which is the main source of legislation here in the Palestinian territories," he added.
In recent years, Hamas hassentenced numerous people to death for "collaboration" with Israelbut the executions implemented two days ago were the first carried out since May 2017.
While Hamas keeps the death penalty on the statute books, Palestinian officials in the occupied West Bank have not carried out such a sentence in recent years.
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, based in the West Bank city of Ramallah, has signed up to the United Nations treaty opposing the death penalty.
Abbas's Fatah movement and Hamas have been divided since 2007, following the outbreak of fighting between the Palestinian factions.
More In News
