Gaza Agreement
Trump shows understanding for alleged Hamas executions
Updated 10/15/2025 – 4:35 p.mReading time: 3 minutes
Videos are said to show Hamas members brutally settling scores with rivals. In Ramallah there is talk of “heinous crimes.” Israel sees a violation of the ceasefire for other reasons.
US President Donald Trump has commented with a certain understanding on reports of killings of people in the Gaza Strip by the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas. Hamas has cracked down on “very, very bad gangs,” Trump said on Tuesday (local time). “It didn’t bother me much, to be honest. That’s okay.” Trump also claimed that countries like Venezuela were sending gangs to the US.
A video was published on the X platform that is said to show a group shooting of around eight people in a square south of the city of Gaza. Eyewitnesses told the German Press Agency by telephone that Hamas had accused those killed of being collaborators with the Israeli army.
The Palestinian Authority strongly condemned the alleged executions. The office of its President Mahmoud Abbas spoke of dozens of civilians who had been killed without trial. The office is quoted by the Palestinian news agency Wafa as saying that these are “heinous crimes” that cannot be justified under any circumstances.
The executions represented a blatant violation of human rights and the rule of law and demonstrated Hamas’ willingness to enforce its rule through violence and intimidation. Abbas’ office called for an immediate end to the killings, the protection of unarmed citizens and the prosecution of those responsible.
The autonomous authority, based in Ramallah, administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It is controlled by Abbas’ Fatah movement, which is in bitter political opposition to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The struggle to repatriate dead hostages from the Gaza Strip is endangering the peace process. Israel accuses Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement because all 28 dead have not yet been handed over as agreed. On Tuesday evening, the Islamists handed over four more bodies. The day before, four bodies of dead hostages had been transferred to Israel.
However, the remains that were sent turned out to be not that of a hostage. According to the Israeli army, a genetic examination at the forensic institute in Tel Aviv showed that these were not any of the dead hostages who were still missing. Media reports suggest it could be the remains of a Palestinian.
“Hamas is committed to making all necessary efforts to repatriate the deceased hostages,” the army statement said. This leaves 21 dead hostages in the Gaza Strip. In February, Hamas had already handed over the body of a Palestinian woman instead of the body of hostage Shiri Bibas. The terrorist organization later admitted a possible mistake. The mix-up – whether knowingly or accidentally – sparked widespread outrage in Israel.
