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Reprisal attacks in Gaza during and after the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict ranged from physical assaults to executions, on Palestinians suspected of Israeli collaboration, and members of the Fatah political party.

Collaborators

Many of the recent attacks were against people suspected of being Israeli informants during the war. Hamas has denied its connection to these attacks, although it admitted that it had been making related arrests in an attempt to re-assert its authority over Gaza. According to a Hamas spokesperson, "The internal security service was instructed to track collaborators and hit them hard. They arrested dozens of collaborators who attempted to strike at Hamas by giving information to Israel about the fighters."

Another Hamas official said, "Maybe some of them were killed because they were acting against the population, against the resistance." A report in the Qatar-based newspaper A-Sharq quoted Moussa Abu Marzuk, a high-ranking Hamas official, as confirming that the organisation had killed known collaborators.

Ha'aretz, an Israeli newspaper, reported on January 30 that a number of Palestinian spies working in Gaza for Israel had been "intercepted" by Hamas. The information these agents fed to the Israeli military was said to have been used "carelessly", and this may have led to their exposure and subsequent assassinations or executions.

A human rights group based in Ramallah decried the attacks, releasing a statement that read, "A number of citizens have been extra-judicially executed during and after the Israeli military aggression on the Gaza Strip... Fire was opened on affected citizens at a close distance. In addition, individuals in official uniform or masked persons opened fire on people's legs, severely beat others, imposed house arrests, and threatened to punish citizens along with their families if they would not comply."

Haidar Ghanem, a Palestinian journalist who was a former employee for the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem, was accused of "collaborating with Israel" during Operation Cast Lead and was executed by Hamas on January 7, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip said over the weekend. According to to Jerusalem Post, "the PA state security court had sentenced Ghanem, a father of two, after holding only two brief sessions."

Fatah

Hamas and Fatah have been bitter rivals since June 2007, when Fatah launched a bloody coup against the Hamas government after Hamas won the Palestinian elections, seizing control of the West Bank from Hamas. . Since the 23-day Israeli assault on Gaza, Hamas has accused Abbas of backing Israel, calling him a traitor and collaborator.

It has been reported that at least 400 Fatah supporters were killed and many others maimed. Fatah officials said at least 19 of its members have been executed and many more tortured. Gaza residents say Hamas is using schools and other public buildings in Gaza City, and the towns of Khan Yunis and Rafah, as detention centers to interrogate members of Fatah. They said three men have been blinded during questioning and over 60 of them shot in the legs as punishment. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights has provided supporting evidence for these claims. Hamas says these are lies and false allegations "from Fatah and the forces of sedition."

Prevention of humanitarian aid

Hamas is believed to have stopped Palestinians from reaching an Israeli field hospital on side of the border at Erez. Hassan Halaf, Hamas's deputy health minister, said, "We don't care about it, they are just claiming they care about human beings but they don't." A United Nations spokesman accused Hamas police in the Gaza Strip of seizing thousands of blankets and food parcels meant for needy residents. Christopher Gunness, spokesman for the UN's Relief and Works Agency, said Hamas police raided a UN warehouse in Gaza City, snatching 3,500 blankets and over 400 food parcels.

See also

• Timeline of the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict
• 2007 Battle of Gaza

References

1. ^ McCarthy, Rory (2009-01-30). "Dozens believed dead in reprisal attacks as Hamas retakes control". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
2. "Hamas reasserts control over Gaza". Arab Times. 2009-01-21. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
3. Macintyre, Donald (2009-01-22). "Hamas admits killing 'Israeli collaborators'". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
4. "Hamas admits to killing collaborators". The First Post. 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
5. Harel, Amos (2009-01-30). "Intel sources: Gazan informants intercepted by Hamas during war". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 2009-0201. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
6. "Hamas executes former B'tselem field worker". jpost.com. 2009-1-25. Retrieved 2009-0207. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
7. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4650788.stm
8. ^ Hamas executes suspected Fatah traitors in Gaza
9. Bengali, Shashank (2009-01-31). "Still in charge, Hamas attacking Fatah rivals". Miami Herald. Retrieved 2009-02-01. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
10. al-Mughrabi, Nidal (2009-01-21). "Hamas asserts control in Gaza, seeks "collaborators"". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-02-01.
11. Hamas seized food and blankets

• Fatah-Hamas conflict
• Gaza
• 2008-2009 Israel-Gaza conflict
• Palestinian politics
• Hamas