Hamas executes 5 Palestinians in Gaza. Here's why

The Hamas Islamist movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, on Sunday announced that it has executed 5 Palestinians. The executions were the first in the Palestinian territories since 2017.

"On Sunday morning, the death sentence was carried out against two condemned over collaboration with the occupation (Israel), and three others in criminal cases," Hamas said in a statement.

The men who were executed: Two of the men, both members of the Palestinian security forces, were killed by firing squad, and the other three were hanged at dawn at a security site in Gaza City, reported AP.

Hamas provided the initials and years of birth of the five executed Palestinians, but did not give their full names. The two executed over "collaboration" with Israel were two men born in 1978 and 1968, reported AFP. The three others executed had been convicted of murder, the statement said.

According to Hamas, the two convicted spies had given Israel information that led to the killing of Palestinians.

Human rights groups condemn the executions: Palestinian and international human rights groups have condemned the death penalty and urged the Palestinian authority to end the practice.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) said the executions by Hamas is a violation of Palestinian law and the international commitments by Palestinian authorities, reported AFP.

Since Hamas took control of Gaza, its courts have sentenced around 180 Palestinians to death, and have executed 33 so far, the PCHR said.

What does the law say? The Palestinian Authority, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, had signed international treaties banning capital punishment in 2018.

Palestinian law says President Mahmoud Abbas has final word on whether executions can be carried out or not. But Abbas has no effective rule in Gaza after Hamas took over the strip in 2007.

Hamas, on the other hand, said that the executions were carried out after the conclusion of all legal procedures and that "all of the convicted were accorded full rights to defend themselves." the statement said.

Israel and Palestine clashes: Hamas and Israel defence forces have fought four wars and many other clashes since 2007. Israel, the US and the European Union consider the Hamas a terrorist organisation.

44 Palestinians were killed and over 300 were injured last month after clashes erupted between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group.The flare-up was the worst fighting between Israel and Palestine since Israel and Hamas fought an 11-day war last year.

The flare-up started after Israel killed two of Islamic Jihad's top commanders in targeted attacks, which led to the group firing rockets at Israeli cities.