May 6, referenced by the Reference News website reported that according to a May 4 report by Reuters, sources close to Hamas said that after several incidents of armed gangs attacking food stores and community canteens in the Gaza Strip this week, this Palestinian armed organization has executed some suspects accused of robbery.
Hamas officials accused some looters of colluding with Israel. Over the past two months, Israel has blocked the delivery of relief supplies into the Gaza Strip. Israel claimed that Hamas had stolen supplies intended for civilians and distributed them to its own forces, which Hamas denied.
In one incident, it was reported that an Israeli drone fired missiles at a police force pursuing criminals in Gaza City, killing one policeman and injuring several others.
"We will crack down on all these rebels with an iron fist, and we will take all necessary measures to deter them at any cost. We will not allow them to continue intimidating citizens' lives and stealing their property," the Interior Ministry said in a statement on March 3.
Ismail Sawabtah, director of the Gaza government media office, said that some looters were acting under the protection of tribes, while others were organized gangs, and he said that some of them received direct support from Israel.
He said that "revolutionary execution sentences" have been carried out against "several top criminals" who were proven to be involved in robbery.
Some residents of Gaza and Palestinian media said that Hamas armed factions have imposed curfews starting at 9 p.m. to restrict civilian movement and pursue criminals.
UN officials warned that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is becoming increasingly severe.
Ahmad, a resident of Gaza City who did not want to reveal his full name, said: "There are some gangs, some of which are armed gangs, they intimidate people, not only stealing food but also stopping some people on the road to rob them of their money and mobile phones. They help the occupiers, making us starve and suffer, and they must be regarded as collaborators."
Safa News Agency, which has close ties with Hamas, said that the Interior Ministry has newly formed a force of 5,000 people responsible for combating robbers and armed gangs.
However, local police forces have been hindered by attacks from Israeli drones. (Translated by Xu Yanhong)
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7501172527034335785/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone, and you can express your attitude by using the buttons below to vote for or against.