Reports from across Gaza reveal that Hamas has intensified its internal repression campaign, engaging in extrajudicial killings and hoarding humanitarian aid. This includes violently suppressing dissent in a bid to maintain its authority over a war-weary population.

Following the ceasefire implementation this month, a wave of executions, forced disappearances, and food seizures has underscored a grim reality. Hamas is turning its weapons inward, using fear as a tool to solidify its rule.

On 13 October, video footage released by the Sahm Unit, reportedly linked to Gaza’s Interior Ministry, showed the public execution of eight blindfolded and handcuffed men. They were allegedly members of a Gaza City-based family militia.

While the group claims these measures are necessary for protection, many observers question whether this so-called security serves the people or merely strengthens Hamas’s grip on power.

Reports of killings justified as wartime "measures" are viewed internationally as grave human rights violations that erode the rule of law and create an atmosphere of fear.

Such tactics suppress dissent and silence those who dare to speak out.

"It is extremely unfair for one to survive Israel’s two-year war only to be executed by Hamas," said Mousa, a human rights activist in Gaza who was once rounded up, beaten, and questioned by Hamas security forces over his criticism of the movement’s behavior and its treatment of Palestinians who did not belong to Hamas.

"This is totally insane," he told The Media Line.

Exploiting humanitarian aid

The troubling accounts of resource hoarding and the alleged mismanagement of humanitarian aid have also drawn widespread condemnation.

Amid these crackdowns, reports have also surfaced of Hamas diverting food, medical supplies, and fuel intended for civilians.

Aid trucks arriving via the Rafah crossing are allegedly seized or redirected to warehouses run by Hamas’s internal security wing.

Observers warn that internal oppression undermines Gaza’s future as much as external threats do.

A genuine path toward prosperity, they argue, begins with transparency, responsible governance, and the protection of individual freedoms.

Only when the people of Gaza are free from coercion and abuse can they build a stable and hopeful society.

The international community remains committed to supporting Gazans through humanitarian and diplomatic efforts.

However, that support is increasingly tied to expectations of reform -- particularly in ensuring that aid is managed responsibly and that human rights are respected.

Lasting peace, observers conclude, cannot be achieved through control and fear. It requires leadership grounded in justice, compassion, and accountability -- values that empower rather than oppress the very people a government claims to defend.