UN Report: Hamas Executed, Maimed Hundreds of Its Own Civilians in Gaza

UN Report: Hamas Executed, Maimed Hundreds of Its Own Civilians in Gaza

Valerie Locke

The United Nations has issued a report so damning of Hamas that it can no longer be ignored: the terrorist organization ruling Gaza has beaten, maimed, and publicly executed its own civilian population, committing what the report explicitly calls war crimes.

The UN International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory released its findings on June 9, documenting the systematic campaign of terror that Hamas has waged not only against Israel, but against the very people it claims to govern.

The commission identified 249 cases of executions and severe physical violence in 2024–2025, resulting in at least 108 deaths and 384 injured. Hamas-affiliated forces were involved in at least 60 of these incidents, including two public executions of 11 men. The report classifies these acts as war crimes of murder and torture, violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

The methods were medieval. Three Hamas-affiliated forces were found responsible: the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas), the Sahm Unit (a plain-clothed paramilitary force created in March 2024 by Gaza’s Ministry of the Interior), and the Rad’a Force (established in June 2025 as a paramilitary police force targeting alleged collaborators and rival factions). At least 45 cases were attributed to the Sahm Unit alone, resulting in approximately 14 executions and 101 injuries.

The executions were not carried out in secret. They were staged as public spectacles. 

On October 13, 2025, the Sahm Unit published video footage of the public summary execution of eight blindfolded and handcuffed men from the same family in Gaza City. A month earlier, three blindfolded men were shot by masked gunmen outside Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital before a crowd of onlookers. Both groups were accused of collaborating with Israel. No trial. No judge. No appeal.

Hamas did not come to power through legitimacy. On June 15, 2007, Hamas seized control of Gaza in a dramatic and violent coup, expelling the forces of the rival Fatah party in brutal clashes that left 188 people dead and more than 650 wounded. The methods were those of a criminal syndicate, not a government. During the fighting, Hamas gunmen threw opponents off high-rise buildings, shot a Fatah militant 40 times outside his home, and killed a Hamas cleric in front of a mosque. President Mahmoud Abbas called it what it was: a coup.

Since seizing power, Hamas has ruled through fear. The wave of executions documented in the UN report is not a wartime aberration — it is the continuation of a pattern established the moment Hamas took Gaza by force.

A New York Times investigation from June 2024 revealed widespread anger among ordinary Gazans at Hamas’s callous disregard for the population — specifically how Hamas leadership was protected in underground tunnels while civilians remained above ground with no protection. One Gazan interviewed said that Hamas “threw the people” into the conflict while sheltering its own commanders beneath their feet.

The tunnels’ electricity — for lighting, air circulation, and communications — was powered largely by solar panels siphoned off from nearby civilian buildings. Hamas did not merely deny civilians protection. It took from them what little power they had to build its own underground city.

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US and Iran agree on peace roadmap, signal reopening of Strait of Hormuz:

US and Iran agree on peace roadmap, signal reopening of Strait of Hormuz: Live updates

RT

The US and Iran said they have agreed on a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict, which began on February 28 with a joint US-Israeli bombing campaign and prompted Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping.

The agreement will be formally signed on Friday in Geneva, Switzerland.

Although the exact details of the deal have not been made public, Iran said the document would focus on ending the war and reopening the strait, while the two sides would have 60 days to negotiate the future of Iran’s nuclear program.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had ordered “the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz” and the end of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports.

“Let the oil flow!” he added.The talks were repeatedly stalled and delayed, with both sides accusing each other of making unacceptable demands and citing a lack of trust.

Most recently, Iran threatened to suspend the negotiations over Israel’s continuing strikes in Lebanon. In an effort to prevent the talks from collapsing, Trump reportedly demanded that Israel halt the attacks during several heated phone calls with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Here are the latest developments:

• 15 June 2026

  00:22 GMT

  Additional details of the draft were reported by Iranian media:

  • Upon signing the memorandum, the US commits not to interfere in Iran’s domestic affairs and to respect its sovereignty, while also pledging not to increase the number of American troops in the region.

  • The US will begin consultations with Israel on the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon.

  • The “reconstruction fund” for Iran will be worth at least $300 billion.

• 00:11 GMT

  A senior Iranian official shared a draft of the memorandum with Reuters:

  • Iran will immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while the US will lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports within 30 days.

  • Iran agrees to never seek nuclear weapons and to refrain from further uranium enrichment pending a final agreement.

  • The US agrees to allow Iran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium on Iranian soil. The details will be negotiated after the deal is signed in Switzerland.

  • The US agrees not to impose new sanctions on Iran until a final agreement is reached. All US and UN sanctions will be gradually lifted after the final deal.

  • The US agrees to release $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets.

  • The US and its regional allies will prepare a “reconstruction and development plan” for Iran within 60 days.

• 14 June 2026

  23:41 GMT

  In the same interview, Trump praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping for helping broker the settlement.

  He described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “a very difficult guy,” arguing that he should be “very thankful to us for doing this.”

  “Because if Iran had a nuclear weapon, Israel wouldn’t be around for two hours,” Trump said.

  The president earlier told Axios that Netanyahu had “no f**king judgement” for carrying out airstrikes in Lebanon despite Iran’s warnings that such attacks would jeopardize the talks.

• 23:32 GMT

  In an interview with The New York Times on Sunday afternoon, Trump said that if Iran failed to reach a final agreement on its nuclear program, he would resume military strikes against the country or make the United States “the guardian of the Middle East” in exchange for 20% of the region’s revenues.

  Detailed negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program are expected to begin once the memorandum of understanding is signed on Friday.

23:20 GMT

In a new post on Truth Social, Trump clarified that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened after the agreement is signed on Friday.

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Top Iranian official says Israel’s Dahiyeh strikes show US can’t or won’t live up to deal

Top Iranian official says Israel’s Dahiyeh strikes show US can’t or won’t live up to deal

Times of Israel is liveblogging Sunday

After Israel strikes Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s Dahiyeh neighborhood, Iran seeks to paint the attacks as a threat to an emerging deal between Tehran and Washington.

“The Zionists’ incursion into Dahiyeh has once again shown that America either lacks the will to fulfill its commitments or the ability to do so,” writes Iran’s top negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Ghalibaf, on X.

“By giving the green light to the regime, you cannot gain concessions. The game of bad cop and good cop is outdated,” he says.

“If you lack the will and ability to fulfill your commitments, speaking of continuing the path is not possible,” he threatens.

Iran is trying to ensure that any deal with the US ties Israel’s hands in Lebanon, thus protecting its powerful ally, Hezbollah. Israeli leaders insist they will not let that happen.

Meanwhile, Gen. Mohammad-Jafar Asadi, deputy chief of the Khatam al-Anbiya operational headquarters of Iran’s Armed Forces, tells local media that the Dahiyeh strike “will not go unanswered.”

Israel informed CENTCOM shortly before Beirut strike – report

Death toll rises to 3 in Israeli strike targeting Hezbollah in Beirut apartment block

Senior Iranian MP after Beirut strike: ‘Rabid dog’ Israel must be controlled if deal is to be reached

At least 1 killed, 4 injured in IDF strike targeting Hezbollah command center in Beirut – report

IDF publishes footage of its airstrike on a Hezbollah command center in Beirut

IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs after 3 drones hit northern Israel

Senior Iranian official: Deal draft says Tehran won’t produce or acquire nuclear weapons, will dilute uranium stockpile

Hezbollah drone hits military zone in northern Israel for 3rd time today; no injuries

Nuclear Ambitions And An Overwhelming Hatred Of Israel: Is Turkey ‘The New Iran’?

Nuclear Ambitions And An Overwhelming Hatred Of Israel: Is Turkey ‘The New Iran’?

Soeren Kern 

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan recently said that Turkey “may be forced” to acquire nuclear weapons to counterbalance Israel and Iran to prevent them from dominating the Middle East. In an interview with CNN Türk, he described having a nuclear weapons capability as a “high-level strategic issue” that must be considered “within the broader, bigger picture” of regional geopolitics.

Fidan’s comments echo those by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has said it is unfair for nuclear-armed states “like the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom”—the five permanent members of the UN Security Council—to prevent Turkey from obtaining nuclear weapons. “Some countries have missiles with nuclear warheads, not [only] one or two,” he said. “But they tell us we cannot have them. This, I cannot accept.”

Although Turkey currently relies on nuclear deterrence provided by the United States through NATO, the statements have raised concerns that Ankara may be considering an active nuclear weapons program.

A July 2025 poll by Research Istanbul found that more than 70% of Turks support a Turkish nuclear weapons capability because they do not believe that NATO would defend their country if it were attacked. This suggests that the Turkish debate about nuclear weapons is not just about Israel or Iran, but also about domestic politics and grievances about “nuclear injustice.”

In an analysis of Turkey’s nuclear program, Middle East analysts Sinan Ciddi and Andrea Stricker warned that if misused, Turkey’s civilian nuclear energy program “could assist” an effort to acquire nuclear weapons. “Nuclear-electrical power production provides a means for Ankara to acquire basic nuclear infrastructure, know-how, and training,” they wrote. “Nuclear energy programs have helpfully served as covers for states like Iran to import needed equipment for nuclear weapons.”

Ciddi and Stricker added, “Erdoğan aspires to elevate Turkey as a great power. Given his emphasis on strengthening conventional military capabilities, he may also seek to expand the country’s unconventional weapons arsenal to reinforce this ambition.”

Lebanese writer Mohamad Kawas agreed: “The Turkish nuclear debate reflects more than security anxieties; it signals a broader strategic repositioning by a state that perceives itself as a major regional power seeking to safeguard its role within an evolving international and regional order.”

Israeli scholar Noa Lazimi warned that nuclear ambitions are “closely tied to Turkey’s self-perception as a regional power with aspirations to revive an Ottoman-style sphere of influence.” She believes Turkey is pouring “enormous resources into its defense industries, and it is difficult to imagine it voluntarily giving up on the development of nuclear weapons, which could one day add a significant layer to its power projection and deterrence.”

Middle East expert Yoni Ben Menachem posited that Erdoğan is “moving rapidly to encircle Israel” by “working to consolidate the Sunni world, transforming former Arab rivals, including Egypt, into partners in a broader alignment that could redirect regional momentum against Israel.” He concluded, “Turkey is the new Iran.”

Editor’s Note: A Prophetic battle 

In Ezekiel chapters 38 through 39, we read of a future war—the “Gog and Magog” war—between Israel and a coalition of nations (including Iran, Russia, Turkey, and others). This coalition will attempt an invasion of the Jewish State, only to be destroyed by God’s hand of intervention on behalf of the modern nation of Israel. 

As noted by author Terry James, the alliances and anti-Israel rhetoric of Turkey in recent years highlight the nation’s increased positioning as part of this future coalition:

It is interesting to see that things are ramping up between Israel and its blood-vowed enemy, Iran. At the same time, another nation-state actor that’s part of the coalition that will comprise the Gog-Magog assault has interjected an equally fascinating element that brings that prophecy into ever-sharpening focus.

[On multiple occasions, Turkey’s leader has threatened military intervention in Israel, particularly following the commencement of the war between Hamas and the Jewish State.]

The Turkish dictator Recep Tayyip Erdoğan thus makes clearer how Togarmah, regarded as the geographical area of current-day Turkey by prophetic scholars, is moving into the Ezekiel 38–39 alliance. This movement has been growing for some time since Erdoğan took over as president of the country. Turkey, a member of NATO, has been moving more and more into the orbit of Iran and Russia and spewing hateful rhetoric against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Jewish state.

Persecution On Schedule

Growing Pressure for Preaching the Gospel

Chick Publications 

In country after country, Christians are finding that preaching the Gospel, gathering for worship, or simply holding to biblical beliefs is becoming increasingly costly. Governments and officials are using arrests, regulations, “public order” laws, and are even demolishing buildings to pressure believers into silence.

In the United Kingdom, senior pastor of Oasis City Church, Steve Maile, was arrested while street preaching as his wife and four children watched. Maile continued to proclaim the Gospel even as police handcuffed him.

To the officers, Maile said, “I am a preacher of the gospel. There is no offense being committed here. None whatsoever.” He then called out to the crowd one final time, “Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you’ll be saved.”

After hours of interrogation, he was released around 1 a.m.

Simultaneously, Bread of Life Community Church in the UK is facing scrutiny after community members labeled sermons as being “Islamophobic,” “homophobic,” and “sexist.”

Trustee Stephen Clayden defended the sermons, saying, “They are not my statements; they are biblical statements.” The church also stated that it wouldn’t back down because of public pressure and remains committed to preaching “the whole Bible, not just the parts which suit society.”

Russia Targets Independent Believers

In Russia, four Baptist Christians were recently arrested and fined after holding a worship service inside a private home. Officials charged the believers with conducting “illegal missionary work” because their religious group was not registered with the government.

Under Russian law, believers can face severe penalties simply for conducting ministry outside state-approved buildings. Russian authorities have increasingly used this law to target unregistered churches and evangelistic activity.

Church Reduced to Rubble in China

Meanwhile in China, authorities demolished a prominent church in Wenzhou — an area sometimes called “China’s Jerusalem” because of its large Christian population.

Yazhong Church, an independent Protestant church, had already faced months of pressure from authorities. More than 100 believers were detained during earlier raids, and church leaders were jailed under vague public-order charges.

After the church resisted government demands to display the Chinese national flag inside the sanctuary, tensions escalated.

In May, demolition crews arrived with heavy security and reduced the church building to rubble. Authorities established checkpoints around the area, restricted access, and tightly controlled information during the demolition. Additional church members were also arrested as the destruction took place.

Bob Fu of ChinaAid said the demolition reflects a growing campaign against independent churches in China. “These recent actions show that the persecution of Christians by Chinese authorities has intensified, becoming more institutionalized and targeted,” he said.

Yet even after the church was destroyed, believers continued pointing people to Christ. Fu added, “This beautiful and sacred place of worship has been destroyed — but our prayers are not reduced to rubble.”

New Law Raises Alarm in India

In India, Christians in Punjab state are raising alarm over a newly strengthened “sacrilege” law that allows police to arrest individuals without a warrant for merely offending a Sikh. The “crime” includes incarceration with no bail and can carry penalties ranging from seven years to life in prison.

Even before the new law passed, pastors had already faced false accusations, arrests, and intimidation. Two Christian workers were arrested in 2023 after torn pages from a Sikh prayer book were found near their village. Both men denied any wrongdoing and were eventually released on bail. However, the men remain displaced and unable to return to their homes safely. One of the men nearly lost his life while in custody. They now struggle to feed their families and continue living under fear and legal pressure.

When asked how they got through, the men shared that they “refused to let go of hope.” They took a page from Paul and Barnabas — they prayed and read scripture together while in jail.

While Doors Are Still Open

For Christians living comfortably in the West, stories like these are a sobering reminder that millions of believers around the world pay a heavy price for following Christ.

As governments tighten restrictions and pressure against believers grows, many persecuted Christians are doing exactly what faithful believers have done for centuries: standing firm and continuing to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ.

Their example should challenge Christians everywhere. While doors remain open in the West, we have opportunities to witness, distribute Gospel tracts, support missions, and point people to Jesus Christ. The freedom to share Christ openly is a gift many believers around the world no longer have — and one Christians should not waste.