Just when you thought peace might finally take root in the Middle East, Hamas shatters the illusion with a brutal display of power in Gaza.
On Monday, mere hours after inking a peace treaty with Israel, Hamas carried out mass public executions in Gaza, targeting alleged collaborators and rival clan members in a chilling bid to tighten its grip on the region, as the New York Post reports.
Let’s rewind to the day before the treaty was even signed, when the bloodshed had already begun. On Sunday, Hamas clashed violently with the Dagmoush clan, a family-based armed group, leaving 52 clan members dead. Reports from Gaza also note that 12 Hamas fighters, including the son of a senior official, perished in the fighting.
Hamas didn’t wait for the ink to dry on the peace deal before flexing its muscle. Militants reportedly used ambulances to storm the Dagmoush neighborhood, accusing the clan of colluding with Israel, though no evidence was provided for these claims, per BBC reports.
The carnage continued into Monday, when graphic footage emerged showing eight blindfolded, beaten men kneeling in a Gaza street. Hamas gunmen executed them one by one before a cheering crowd, a grim spectacle meant to send a message. The group labeled these men “criminals and collaborators,” but skepticism abounds about the validity of such accusations.
Among the executed was Ahmad Zidan al-Tarabin, identified by Israeli outlet ynet News as someone who allegedly recruited for a rival militia not aligned with Hamas. Whether true or not, this killing seems less about justice and more about eliminating any challenge to Hamas’ authority in the wake of the Israeli Defense Forces’ withdrawal from Gaza.
Speaking of that withdrawal, it appears to have emboldened Hamas to settle old scores and reassert control. With Israeli troops gone, the group has turned its sights on internal rivals, particularly family-based clans that gained influence during the conflict. This isn’t peace—it’s a power grab dressed up as security.
President Donald Trump, commenting on the situation on Monday, suggested that Hamas had been given leeway to handle internal security in Gaza “as it sees fit” as part of the peace deal, which also aimed to secure the return of remaining hostages. “They do want to stop the problems, and they’ve been open about it, and we gave them approval for a period of time,” Trump told a reporter aboard Air Force One.
Trump’s peace plan reportedly expected Hamas to disarm and cede governance of Gaza, a tall order for a group that’s showing no signs of loosening its iron fist. In fact, Hamas has outright refused to step down or lay down arms, making the treaty look more like a temporary ceasefire than a lasting resolution. If this is the “safety” Trump envisions, it’s a far cry from stability.
The human toll of this violence is heartbreaking, especially for the families caught in the crossfire. A daughter of a Dagmoush clan member, speaking to ynet News, painted a harrowing picture: “It’s a massacre. They’re dragging people away, children are screaming and dying, they’re burning our houses.”
Her words cut through the political posturing and remind us of the real stakes here. While leaders negotiate treaties and trade soundbites, innocent lives are being torn apart by a group more interested in dominance than peace. It’s a tragedy that no amount of diplomatic spin can erase.
Let’s not kid ourselves -- Hamas’ actions are a direct slap in the face to the very idea of a peace agreement. Hours after signing a deal meant to end hostilities, they’re executing people in the streets and waging war on their own. This isn’t governance; it’s gangsterism with a political banner.
The question now is whether this treaty can hold when one side refuses to play by the rules. Hamas’ rejection of disarmament and governance surrender, coupled with these brutal reprisals, suggests they view peace as a tool for consolidation, not reconciliation.
Conservative voices have long warned against trusting groups with a track record of violence to uphold peace deals, and this latest episode only fuels that skepticism. Yet, there’s a need for empathy toward the civilians of Gaza, nearly 2 million of whom are returning to shattered homes and an uncertain future under Hamas’ shadow.
Ultimately, what unfolded in Gaza this week is a stark reminder that peace isn’t just a signature on paper -- it’s a commitment to change. Hamas’ public executions and clan crackdowns show a blatant disregard for that commitment, leaving the treaty’s future hanging by a thread. If this is their version of “internal security,” the road to stability looks longer and bloodier than ever.
