While Israeli attention remains focused on Iran and Lebanon, Hamas has continued consolidating its control in the Gaza Strip, in part through violent enforcement measures and killings that have sparked anger among residents.
In the past week alone, Hamas operatives have killed three civilians in incidents that have drawn sharp criticism inside Gaza.
The first incident took place at the Abu Srar crossing in the Nuseirat refugee camp, where a Gazan civilian, Asaad Abu Mahadi, was shot dead by Hamas personnel. According to reports, Abu Mahadi was driving his car normally and showed no suspicious behavior when he was shot without apparent cause. He was evacuated to a hospital in critical condition, but doctors pronounced him dead several hours later.
“We must speak about the crime in Nuseirat camp against Asaad Abu Mahadi, who was ambushed and murdered in cold blood,” Hussein Jamal, a local activist, wrote on X. He condemned what he described as the “absolute silence of human rights institutions in the face of such crimes,” adding: “If it is not their role to expose those responsible now, then when will the time come?”
According to the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, a Hamas delegation attempted to reach a settlement with the victim’s family, but the family rejected the proposal. A family source emphasized that Abu Mahadi had no connection to any group, while the delegation reportedly claimed he had been killed “by mistake due to suspicion about his vehicle.”
A Hamas security source said Abu Mahadi had been asked to stop at the crossing but did not comply, after which he was shot. “There was no justification for shooting him,” the source added, saying immediate steps had been taken against the security personnel involved.
Two days after that incident, Mohammed Abu Amara, a former aid worker, was also shot dead in the Deir al-Balah area. His uncle had reportedly been killed recently by Hamas forces as well. Residents said the shooting came amid an intensification of security activity, including arrests of people posting on social media.
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Social activist Ashraf Nasser, affiliated with Fatah, was abducted and tortured in front of his family
Meanwhile, social activist Ashraf Nasser, who is affiliated with the rival Fatah faction, was abducted and tortured in front of his family following social media posts criticizing living conditions in Gaza and Hamas’ policies, and calling for peace and coexistence with Israel.
His whereabouts remain unknown. There are concerns he may be held in underground tunnels, and his fate remains unclear.