Hamas Executes 8 in Gaza After Trump’s ‘Disarm’ Warning

Masked Hamas gunmen force blindfolded Palestinian men to kneel in a Gaza City street before executing them as suspected collaborators, October 13, 2025. (AFP/Getty Images)

October 15, 2025 - Gaza City/Jerusalem - In a brazen display of defiance, Hamas fighters publicly executed eight blindfolded men accused of collaborating with Israel in a Gaza City square on Tuesday, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning demanding the militant group disarm or face forcible removal from power. The graphic video, verified by multiple outlets and shared on Hamas-affiliated channels, has plunged the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire into jeopardy, highlighting the group's determination to reassert control over Gaza following Israel's partial troop withdrawal.

The footage, geolocated to the al-Sabra neighborhood in western Gaza City by BBC Verify and CNN, shows masked gunmen—some wearing green headbands associated with Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades—dragging seven men with hands tied behind their backs into a circle of onlookers. The victims were forced to their knees before being shot execution-style from behind, with crowds chanting "Allahu Akbar" and labeling them "collaborators." A separate incident in the Zeitoun district claimed an eighth life, according to Palestinian health officials and Reuters sources. The executions mark the latest in a wave of intra-Palestinian violence, with at least 33 people killed since the ceasefire began on October 13, including clashes with rival clans like the Dormush and Abu Samra families.

Trump's ultimatum came during a White House press conference on Tuesday morning, where he clarified that Hamas had received a temporary "green light" to police Gaza amid the power vacuum left by Israel's pullback from key urban areas. "They know I’m not playing games," Trump said, emphasizing that the message was delivered through "my people at the highest levels." He added: "If they don't disarm within a reasonable period of time, we will disarm them—quickly and perhaps violently." The remarks followed his 20-point peace plan, unveiled last month at the UN General Assembly and finalized in Egypt on October 13, which envisions a demilitarized Gaza under international supervision and a Palestinian-led transitional authority.

The plan's Phase One—hostage releases and prisoner swaps—saw Hamas free the last 20 living Israeli hostages seized in the October 7, 2023 attacks, along with eight bodies, in exchange for over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. However, Israel accused Hamas of violating the deal by delaying the return of the remaining 20 deceased hostages' remains, prompting Defense Minister Israel Katz to halve humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza on Tuesday. Trump, en route to Jerusalem, posted on Truth Social: "THE DEAD HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, AS PROMISED! Phase Two begins right NOW!!!" Phase Two calls for Hamas to surrender weapons and cede control, but experts warn disarmament talks remain nascent, with Qatari mediators confirming no concrete discussions yet.

Hamas, battered by two years of Israeli operations that decimated its ranks, has mobilized up to 7,000 fighters to reclaim streets in Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Deir al-Balah, according to security sources cited by Reuters and the BBC. The group frames the crackdown as a "security campaign" against "lawbreakers, thieves, bandits, and collaborators," including armed clans accused of hijacking aid convoys and fueling Gaza's starvation crisis. Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri defended the actions in a statement: "We will not allow chaos to prevail during the transition," while issuing an ultimatum for suspected collaborators to surrender by October 19 for amnesty, barring those involved in killings.

The Palestinian Authority (PA), led by President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned the executions as "heinous crimes" and called for the "restoration of law" in Gaza. A PA rights group decried them as "extrajudicial and arbitrary," echoing concerns from Gaza residents. One anonymous activist told ABC News: "You can't correct one mistake with another. Executions without fair trial are a crime." U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) echoed the call, urging Hamas to "immediately suspend violence and disarm without delay," as the Trump plan envisions Palestinian-led policing under international oversight.

Israel, which retains control over about half of Gaza, restricted border access Tuesday, with the IDF firing on northern crowds "not complying with orders to stop." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that the war cannot end until Hamas fully disarms and relinquishes power—a demand the group has rejected. Palestinian Resistance Factions, including Hamas and allies like Palestinian Islamic Jihad, commended the "enforcement of law," but analysts like Abdalhadi Alijla of the Arab Reform Initiative warn: "It's extrajudicial execution... Innocent people will be unjustly killed."

The killings have drawn global condemnation, with the UN Human Rights Office labeling them "potential war crimes" and calling for investigations. In Italy, over 10,000 protested Israel's role ahead of a World Cup qualifier, met with police water cannons. Russia's Foreign Ministry criticized the violence, while experts like Gaza-based commentator Ahmed Abu Saada noted: "Gazans are focused on survival after two years of misery... Ultimately, Hamas will have to comply."

As aid trickles in via Kerem Shalom—though Rafah remains closed—the executions underscore the challenges of Trump's "peace through strength" vision. With Phase Two looming, the U.S. has pledged troops for a stabilization force alongside Egypt and Qatar, but uncertainties persist: Who commands it? Will Hamas comply? For now, Gaza's streets echo with the sounds of reprisals, testing the ceasefire's endurance.