UN Report Documents Hamas Executions and Abuse of Palestinians in Gaza
A United Nations report released Tuesday documented hundreds of cases of extrajudicial punishment by Hamas-affiliated forces and police units in Gaza, including dozens of executions, beatings, and maiming of Palestinians. The commission found Hamas operatives were involved in nearly one-fourth of 249 documented cases from August 2024 to January 2026, with victims accused of collaboration with Israel, looting, theft, or drug offenses. The UN characterized these acts as war crimes that violated international humanitarian law and human rights protections.
According to a UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report, Hamas-affiliated operatives and police forces carried out extrajudicial punishments against Palestinians in Gaza, including public executions, kneecapping, bone-breaking, and beatings. The commission documented 249 cases involving 108 deaths, with Hamas-affiliated forces implicated in approximately one-fourth of these incidents. The report includes video evidence of executions, such as three blindfolded men shot outside al-Shifa Hospital in September 2025 and eight men executed in a Gaza City public square in October 2025. Victims were accused of being collaborators with Israel, spies, or involved in looting, theft, and drug trafficking. The UN commission chair stated these abuses occurred in an "environment engineered by Israel," where Hamas exploited a vacuum created by Israeli military operations. The commission concluded these acts constitute war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law.
What's missing
The article does not provide Hamas's response to or denial of the allegations, noting only that 'Representatives for Hamas did not respond to questions about the report's allegations.' Independent verification of the video evidence cited in the UN report and corroboration from other international human rights organizations would provide additional context on the report's findings.
What different sources said
- Times of IsraelCenter
Hamas members executed and maimed dozens of Palestinians in Gaza, UN report says
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