‘This Is a Transitional Phase’
Mohammed Nazzal, a senior official with the Hamas terrorist organization, on Friday defended his group’s mass execution of Palestinian civilians after President Donald Trump warned that Hamas could face total destruction over the killings.
Nazzal, a member of the Hamas Politburo, defended public executions as “exceptional measures” to deal with “criminals”. He denied accusations that Hamas was simply rounding up and killing its opponents to maintain power in Gaza, even though the ceasefire agreement stipulated that Hamas would play no role in the postwar administration.
“It’s a transitional phase. Civilly, there will be a technocratic administration as I said. On the ground, Hamas will be present,” he said.
Nazzal also cast doubt on whether Hamas would disarm or not, as required by the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
WATCH – HISTORICAL! Trump reflects on the Middle East peace deal:
“I can’t answer yes or no. Frankly, it depends on the nature of the project. The disarmament project you’re talking about, what does that mean? Who will the weapons be handed over to?” he said.
The Hamas leader insisted the group wanted to rebuild Gaza, rather than simply resorting to a truce to rearm and replenish its numbers.
“The goal is not to prepare for a future war,” he said.
President Trump has made it clear that any departure from the ceasefire agreement would be a disaster for Hamas.
“If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the agreement, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them. Thank you for your attention to this issue!” Asset said in a terse article on Truth Social on Thursday.
Asset repeated his threat in comments to the media on Monday.
“We have peace in the Middle East for the first time,” the president said. “We made a deal with Hamas that…they will behave, they will be nice, and if they are not, we will eradicate them if we have to. They will be eradicated, and they know it.”
WATCH – PRESIDENTIAL ESCORT! POTUS escorts Egyptian F-16 until peace deal signed:
Eyewitnesses in Gaza say Hamas is carrying out a massive massacre against its political opponents, not just arresting and executing a few “criminals.”
“After the shooting stopped, Hamas fighters came out of the tunnels and massacred families who opposed them. They are sending a signal that they are back – by terrorizing people,” said Moumen al-Natour, a Gaza lawyer and former Hamas political prisoner. said Friday.
Al-Natour named several groups still resisting Hamas after a week of kidnappings and executions, including the Abu Shabab militia and the Dughmash clan.
“These militias come from the population. They need recognition and coordination to form a political framework – a transitional body that governs these areas and organizes their security,” he said.
Amihai Attali, columnist at Ynet News against that many civilians, including children, can be seen watching and applauding the Hamas executions being filmed.
“While any rational person among us raises our children slowly and carefully, protecting them from the evil of the world, Gazans bring their children to the town square to watch, smell and hear death – to enjoy the sight of a bullet fired into the skull of another person, often someone from a rival clan,” he noted.
