Hamas executes 18 suspected of collaboration with Israel

After the loss of three key leaders in an Israeli airstrike, Hamas rounded up and executed 18 Palestinians accused of collaborating with the Israeli military.

Reuters reports that seven of the executions took place in a particularly public setting. Those executions took place in Palestine Square in Gaza City. The execution was timed with the end of prayers at the Omari mosque so that as many people as possible would see it. It is the first public execution in Palestinian territory since the 1990s.

Another 11 people were killed near an abandoned police station, according to Reuters.

The New York Times reports that the suspected collaborators were arrested before the outbreak of violence between Hamas and Israel that led to Israel's brief occupation of the Gaza Strip in July.

The very public manner of execution just days after three of Hamas' top military commanders, and the family of a fourth, were killed by Israeli airstrikes suggests that Hamas wanted to send a horrifying message to any who consider aiding Israel.

Human rights groups in both Israel and in Palestine strongly condemned the killings.

The Times reports that one group, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, is currently investigating allegations that similar executions took place two weeks ago.

The group believes that Hamas executed another five people on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.

As the executions took place, Israel and Hamas continued to exchange fire. At least 75 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel Aug. 22, according to the Times. One of those rockets killed a 4-year-old Israeli child.

That brings the total number of Israeli civilians killed by Hamas since the most recent violence began to four. More than 65 Israeli soldiers have died in the ongoing hostilities. More than 2,000 Palestinians, believed primarily to be civilians, have been killed by Israeli airstrikes and naval bombardments.