GAZA CITY: Hamas said Thursday it put to death three men it had accused of killing a senior member of the militant group that rules Gaza in March.
Hamas’ Interior Ministry said two men were hanged and one was killed by firing squad Thursday. The three received death sentences Sunday after a brief, week-long special military court found them guilty of killing Mazen Faqha. Local rights groups slammed the trial, calling it unprecedented given its speed.
The executions took place at a police headquarters and were attended by hundreds of people, including Hamas officials, community leaders and representatives of factions.
The death of Faqha, a shadowy senior figure in Hamas’ military wing, shocked Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for the past decade.
Faqha, 38, was killed in the garage of his apartment building on March 24, shortly after he had dropped off his family. Hamas said the killer used a weapon with a silencer, allowing him to escape undetected before Faqha’s body was discovered an hour later.
Hamas immediately accused Israel of killing him through collaborators and launched a manhunt.
Israel had sentenced Faqha to nine terms of life imprisonment for directing deadly suicide bombing attacks. He was freed along with more than 1,000 other Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a single Israeli soldier in 2011.
Hamas has put to death 25 people sentenced under its judicial system since 2007 when it took over Gaza in bloody street battles from forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas also killed 23 people without trials during its 2014 war with Israel.
Rights groups have questioned the fairness of trials under the Hamas system.
Amnesty International had urged Hamas against carrying out the executions. The human rights group has said the men were found guilty “in a court that utterly disregarded international fair trial standards.”
After Faqha’s killing, Hamas set up checkpoints throughout Gaza and barred all residents and foreign aid workers from leaving the coastal strip and going to Israel.
It has since eased some of the restrictions.
Hamas’ Interior Ministry said two men were hanged and one was killed by firing squad Thursday. The three received death sentences Sunday after a brief, week-long special military court found them guilty of killing Mazen Faqha. Local rights groups slammed the trial, calling it unprecedented given its speed.
The executions took place at a police headquarters and were attended by hundreds of people, including Hamas officials, community leaders and representatives of factions.
The death of Faqha, a shadowy senior figure in Hamas’ military wing, shocked Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for the past decade.
Faqha, 38, was killed in the garage of his apartment building on March 24, shortly after he had dropped off his family. Hamas said the killer used a weapon with a silencer, allowing him to escape undetected before Faqha’s body was discovered an hour later.
Hamas immediately accused Israel of killing him through collaborators and launched a manhunt.
Israel had sentenced Faqha to nine terms of life imprisonment for directing deadly suicide bombing attacks. He was freed along with more than 1,000 other Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a single Israeli soldier in 2011.
Hamas has put to death 25 people sentenced under its judicial system since 2007 when it took over Gaza in bloody street battles from forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Hamas also killed 23 people without trials during its 2014 war with Israel.
Rights groups have questioned the fairness of trials under the Hamas system.
Amnesty International had urged Hamas against carrying out the executions. The human rights group has said the men were found guilty “in a court that utterly disregarded international fair trial standards.”
After Faqha’s killing, Hamas set up checkpoints throughout Gaza and barred all residents and foreign aid workers from leaving the coastal strip and going to Israel.
It has since eased some of the restrictions.
