‘Historic dawn’ or fragile pause? After Trump declares ‘war is over’, Hamas accused of executing rivals in Gaza
On Monday, Trump declared to Israel’s Parliament that the ceasefire was ‘the historic dawn of a new Middle East.’ Just a day later, however, reports emerged claiming that Hamas executed men they accused of collaborating with Israeli forces
A day after US President Donald Trump declared in Israel’s Knesset that "the war is over" Hamas fighters tightened their grip in Gaza. Multiple reports claimed that Hamas was killing its opponents in Gaza City’s main square — in full view of the public on Tuesday.
According to a report by Reuters, the Hamas executed men they accused of collaborating with Israeli forces. Multiple unverified videos doing the rounds on social media showed a group of armed men taking aim at several others – which reports claimed were Hamas opponents.
Reuters also reported that in one of the videos circulated on Monday, Hamas fighters dragged seven men into a circle of people in Gaza City, forced them to their knees and shot them from behind. A Hamas source confirmed the authenticity of the video.
The latest developments come after Trump signed the Gaza ceasefire deal with world leaders from across the globe at the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.
Israel-Gaza ceasefire
On Monday, Trump paid a visit to both Egypt and Israel – where he addressed the Knesset, the Israeli parliament to mark the first steps of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which he played a key role in brokering.
“The war is over,” Trump asserted to reporters as he departed, adding he thought the ceasefire would hold.
The Israel-Gaza ceasefire – which began on Friday, marked a significant step toward ending the two-year conflict sparked by Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
Since then, the war has resulted in the deaths of around 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
On Monday, Trump declared to Israel’s Parliament that the ceasefire was “not only the end of a war, this is the end of the age of terror and death.” He called it “the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
Just a day later, however, Mukhaimar Abu Saada, a political analyst from Gaza told Fox News that Hamas has issued an ultimatum giving collaborators with Israel until October 19 to surrender and seek amnesty from Hamas — as long as they were not involved in killings.
‘Historic dawn’ or fragile pause?
Gaza residents said fighters were increasingly visible on Tuesday, deploying along routes needed for aid deliveries. Palestinian security sources said dozens of people have been killed in clashes between Hamas fighters and rivals in recent days, reported Reuters.
A man in Gaza who asked to remain anonymous told Fox News Digital that, despite official declarations, "You cannot say the war is finished," he said. "We have to wait a few weeks to see what happens. There are gangs in Gaza now; Hamas is trying to fight them. If they don’t unify, another war could start."