Hamas has executed several individuals accused of looting, following multiple incidents this week where heavily armed gangs reportedly attacked food warehouses and community kitchens in the Gaza Strip, according to sources close to the Palestinian militant group.
Officials from Hamas have alleged that some of the looters were collaborating with Israel, which has maintained a strict blockade preventing aid from entering Gaza for the past two months. Israel has not responded to the accusations.
In one event, the Hamas-controlled interior ministry reported that an Israeli drone strike killed a police officer and injured others while they were pursuing suspected criminals in Gaza City.
“We will strike with an iron fist all these renegades, and we will take the necessary measures to deter them, no matter the cost, and we will not allow them to continue terrorizing citizens, threatening their lives, and stealing their property,” the ministry stated on Saturday, referring to the accused looters.
Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the government media office in Gaza, claimed that some of the looters operated under the protection of local clans, while others were part of organized groups—some of which, he said, were directly supported by Israel. He confirmed that several “revolutionary execution rulings” had been carried out against “top criminals” found guilty of looting.
According to Palestinian media and residents, Hamas’ armed wing has imposed nightly curfews beginning at 9 p.m. to restrict civilian movement and target criminal activity.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which continues to deteriorate under Israel’s prolonged military campaign that began after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.
Israel has defended the blockade on aid, claiming Hamas diverts supplies intended for civilians to its fighters—an accusation Hamas denies. Nonetheless, the blockade has exacerbated the crisis, placing growing pressure on Hamas, which has also faced sporadic public unrest over the limited food supply.
The looting incidents have highlighted the intense pressure on the population, now largely concentrated in central Gaza and coastal areas, as Israeli forces continue to establish wide buffer zones within the enclave.
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“Those gangs, some of them armed, have terrorized people, not only stealing food, but stopping some people on the roads and taking away their money and phones,” said Ahmed, a resident of Gaza City who requested that his full name not be published.
“They aid the occupation in starving us; they must be dealt with as collaborators,” he told Reuters via a chat app.
The SAFA news agency, which is close to Hamas, reported that the interior ministry has created a new 5,000-member security force to crack down on looters and armed gangs. However, the efforts of local police are reportedly constrained by Israeli drone strikes that target any armed Palestinians they detect.
Although Hamas deployed thousands of police and security personnel across Gaza following a ceasefire in January, its armed presence has diminished significantly since Israel resumed full-scale military operations in March.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 40 people across Gaza in the past 24 hours, according to the territory’s health ministry.
Israel’s military offensive was launched in response to the October 7, 2023, assault by Hamas, which killed 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 251 others. Since then, more than 52,500 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health authorities.
