Gaza Man Kidnapped, Tortured, and Executed in First Reported Killing Linked to Anti-Hamas Demonstrations
Hamas operatives kidnapped, tortured, and executed a 22-year-old Palestinian man, Oday Nasser Al Rabay, after he participated in demonstrations against the group in Gaza last week, according to his family on Sunday.
Rabay’s body was left outside his family home over the weekend, prompting dozens of mourners to attend his funeral procession on Saturday. Video footage showed mourners chanting, “Hamas out!”
The incident marks the first reported killing directly linked to the recent anti-Hamas protests, which erupted across Gaza for three consecutive days last week. Demonstrators have called openly for Hamas to cease hostilities with Israel and end its authoritarian rule over the coastal enclave.
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Protests ceased over the weekend, reportedly due to intimidation and threats by Hamas operatives. A Gazan activist currently residing in Turkey, responsible for disseminating videos of the protests, recently reported receiving direct threats from senior Hamas officials.
Hamas has publicly claimed the recent protests were directed against Israel, despite video evidence and eyewitness accounts showing the crowds explicitly targeting the Gaza-ruling terror group.
According to Israeli public broadcaster Kan, Hamas faces difficulty suppressing demonstrations forcefully due to renewed Israeli military operations that target openly visible operatives. Israeli officials restarted military activities in Gaza on March 18, halting a previously established ceasefire and hostage release arrangement.
Hamas previously freed 33 hostages—women, children, civilian men over 50, and certain “humanitarian cases”—during a 42-day ceasefire phase that ended March 2. This release was part of a hostage-exchange deal, under which Israel freed about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.
