Hamas military wing says it executed member said to be ‘Israeli spy’

The military wing of Hamas says it has executed one of its members, with sources familiar with the case calling him a senior official accused of spying for Israel.

“The [Izz al-Din] Al-Qassam Brigades announce that the death penalty pronounced against its member Mahmud Eshtawi has been applied today at 1600 hours,” Hamas’s military wing says in a statement.

Executions have previously been carried out in the Gaza Strip, including in public squares in the Palestinian territory, but it appears to be the first time the military wing itself has sentenced one of its own through a court martial and then executed him.

The statement does not provide details on the accusations against Eshtawi, 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 say.

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.

— AFP