Four Executed in Gaza for Stealing Aid as Hamas Struggles to Maintain Control

Hamas executed four men this week alone for looting humanitarian aid trucks, in a desperate attempt by the terror group to reassert its crumbling authority over the increasingly lawless Gaza Strip as well as its loosening grip on control over humanitarian aid distribution. According to a source who spoke with Reuters, the men were accused of not only looting aid but also causing the deaths of security personnel assigned to protect the convoys. Seven other suspects remain at large, according to a statement issued by a loosely affiliated militant umbrella organization calling itself the “Palestinian Resistance.”

The executions mark a significant development as Hamas, which has ruled Gaza with an authoritarian grip since its 2007 coup, appears to be losing control. Public punishments have long been used by the group to quash dissent, ranging from public beatings to shooting suspected criminals in the legs as a deterrent. However, the chaos currently unfolding, including widespread looting and vigilante activity, suggests that the once tightly controlled enclave is descending into internal disorder.

Since the onset of the war in Gaza nearly 19 months ago, Hamas has systematically diverted humanitarian aid meant for civilians. Estimates suggest the group has redirected as much as half a billion dollars in aid. Intelligence sources and aid organizations have detailed how Hamas seizes incoming supplies, hides them in underground warehouses, and resells them to the local population at massively inflated prices. The illicit profits are reportedly used to fund militant operations, including paying salaries to fighters and recruiting new operatives.

A recent United Nations investigation further exposed the extent of Hamas’s criminal network. The report identifies a key figure, Hamas commander Yasser Abu Shabab, as orchestrating a systematic and militarized looting campaign. Operating from eastern Rafah, Abu Shabab is said to lead a paramilitary-style group that blocks and ambushes aid convoys using armed thugs and improvised roadblocks. UN and humanitarian agencies estimate that his group has stolen approximately $25.5 million in aid goods.

Despite these allegations, Hamas officials downplayed the significance of Abu Shabab, with one calling him “a tool used by the Israeli occupation to fragment the Palestinian internal front.” Yet, the group’s apparent inability to control or remove him highlights the erosion of its power in Gaza, accelerated by the sustained Israel Defense Forces (IDF) campaign against its infrastructure and leadership.

The international community continues to grapple with the complexities of Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, often pointing fingers at Israel for the deteriorating conditions. However, the mounting evidence of Hamas’s internal corruption and exploitation of humanitarian resources suggests that much of the suffering endured by Gazan civilians stems from their own unelected rulers’ actions. With Hamas now executing its own people to stave off complete collapse, the situation in Gaza resembles the high cost of tyranny and terror governance.