Just hours after US President Donald Trump signed a landmark 20-point peace accord in Cairo, declaring an “end of an age of terror and death,” shocking scenes unfolded in Gaza. Video footage shared on social media showed masked Hamas gunmen executing eight blindfolded and beaten men in front of a cheering crowd.

The disturbing video, verified by multiple outlets, captured the victims kneeling on a Gaza street moments before being shot dead at close range. Hamas claimed the men were “criminals and collaborators with Israel,” though it provided no evidence to support the accusation, according to a report by the BBC.

Among those executed was Ahmad Zidan al-Tarabin, who, according to Israeli outlet Ynet News, had alleged ties to a rival non-Hamas militia and was accused of recruiting agents.

Hamas reasserts control amid clan clashes

Following the withdrawal of Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) from Gaza City under the new ceasefire framework, Hamas has moved swiftly to re-establish control over the war-torn territory. Armed members of Hamas’s Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades were seen patrolling the streets and managing crowds that gathered to welcome Palestinian prisoners recently released from Israeli jails.

At the same time, Hamas launched what it described as a “security campaign” against powerful family-based armed clans – including the Doghmoush, Al-Majayda, Popular Force and Hellis – which had gained influence during the recent conflict.

Over the weekend, violence erupted between Hamas security forces and the Doghmoush clan. Reports from Gaza indicated that at least 52 clan members and 12 Hamas fighters, including the son of senior Hamas official Bassem Naim, were killed during the confrontation. Witnesses said Hamas militants used ambulances to infiltrate the clan’s neighbourhood, setting homes ablaze and detaining residents. One clan member’s daughter described the attack as a “massacre,” saying people were “dragged away amidst screams.”

A Gaza resident named Mohammed said, “For long hours this morning there were heavy clashes between Hamas security forces and members of the Hilles family.”

Trump’s remarks and warnings

Speaking during his Middle East visit, President Trump said he had given Hamas temporary authorisation to oversee internal security in Gaza “as it sees fit,” claiming the move was intended to ensure a safe return of residents and remaining hostages.

“They do want to stop the problems, and they’ve been open about it,” Trump said. “You have close to 2 million people going back to buildings that have been demolished, and a lot of bad things can happen. So we want it to be safe.”

However, the president also issued a stark warning upon his return to Washington. “If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them,” Trump said. “And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently.”

The peace plan, endorsed by world powers during the Trump-chaired summit in Egypt, calls for Gaza’s complete demilitarisation. It also offers amnesty to Hamas members who surrender their weapons and pledge peaceful coexistence.

International condemnation and response

The executions, which came as the fragile truce entered its fifth day, have drawn widespread condemnation. The Palestinian Authority denounced the killings as “heinous crimes,” holding Hamas fully responsible for what it called “a return to lawlessness and terror.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry released the footage of the executions on social media, accusing Hamas of ruling “through fear and brutality rather than resistance.”

Meanwhile, a senior Palestinian security source said Hamas’s newly formed “Deterrence Force” has been conducting “ongoing field operations to ensure security and stability.” The source added that the group’s intensified crackdown was a signal of internal power struggles as Hamas attempts to eliminate rival factions.

Amid the chaos, the Israeli military confirmed that the remains of four additional hostages were returned to Israel on Tuesday – a day after Hamas handed over four other bodies and freed the last 20 surviving hostages.

(With inputs from AFP)