Hamas sentences 5 Gazans to death for giving Israel information
4 to be hanged and one executed by firing squad; terror group says spying in 2000, 2001 and 2008 led to killings of fighters
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleDov Lieber is a former Times of Israel Arab affairs correspondent.
A Gazan military court sentenced five men to death on Monday, charging them with being informants for Israel.
Three of the cases involved alleged spying on behalf of Israel in 2000 and 2001, and two of the men were found guilty of working for Israel in 2008.
Four of the men were to be put to death by hanging, and one by firing squad.
At least one man can still appeal his sentence.
Several of the men were found guilty of giving information to Israel that led to the deaths of Hamas fighters, according to Palestinian news site Safa. Some were also accused of treason.
Hamas, a terror group which has been the de facto ruler of the Gaza Strip since 2006, has held public executions in the past of those it accuses of collaborating with Israel, including dragging bodies behind motorcycles.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights said in late December that nine death sentences had been issued in the Gaza Strip in 2015 and two in the West Bank.
Since the start of 2016, four Gazans have been handed death sentences after being accused of spying for Israel.
It was not clear when the sentences against the five would be carried out.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.