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A military court in the Gaza Strip |
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GAZA: HAMAS EXECUTES ONE OF ITS COMMANDERS ACCUSED OF SPYING FOR ISRAEL
February 7, 2016: The armed wing of Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, said it had executed one of its members, with sources familiar with the case calling him a senior official accused of spying for Israel.
"The Al-Qassam Brigades announce that the death penalty pronounced against its member Mahmud Eshtawi has been applied today at 1600 hours," Hamas's armed branch said in a statement.
Executions have previously been carried out in the Gaza Strip, including in public squares in the Palestinian territory, but it appeared to be the first time Al-Qassam itself had sentenced one of its own through a court martial and executed him.
The statement did not provide details on the accusations against him other than to say that "the Brigades' military and Islamic judicial committee issued the sentence because he violated rules and ethics."
Eshtawi's duties included overseeing tunnels that have previously been used to store weapons and carry out attacks against Israel, the sources said.
According to the sources, he was in charge of a large unit and was previously a close associate of Mohammed Deif, the Al-Qassam chief who has been a frequent target of Israeli assassination attempts. (Sources: AFP, 07/02/2016)
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