Photo: Depositphotos
Israeli and Western media report on the brutal murder of 22-year-old Uday Nasser Saadi al-Rubai, one of the participants in the recent anti-Hamas protests in the Gaza Strip. According to the Daily Mail and a number of Israeli sources, al-Ruba’i was publicly executed by Hamas militants after hours of torture.
According to eyewitnesses, the terrorists kidnapped the activist, held him for about four hours, brutally tortured him, and then dragged him through the streets by a rope tied to his neck before handing him over to his family. At the same time, the militants stated:
“This is the fate of those who slander Hamas.”
A few hours after his release, Uday al-Rubai died of his injuries.
Videos of torture are already circulating on social media, causing a wave of outrage among the Palestinian population. Users from Gaza report that after the mass protests, Hamas militants began summoning activists for interrogation, mainly to the counterintelligence department. Videos with threats and attempts at intimidation by armed representatives of the group are being circulated.
There have also been reports of other attempts to abduct protesters and the introduction of ‘house arrests’ for activists for up to 10 days.
The al-Ruba’i incident demonstrates Hamas’ harsh reaction to any manifestations of civil discontent, which have become more frequent against the backdrop of the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the war in the Gaza Strip and the group’s authoritarian style of governance.
The international community has not yet given an official response, but human rights organisations are calling for an independent investigation into the murder and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
