Hamas massacres three Palestinians in front of joyous crowds in the West Bank: Where is the Palestinian Authority?

On Friday, November 24, the first stage of exchange agreed upon between Israel and Hamas took place within the framework of a ceasefire of a few days. The exchange consists of Hamas releasing people kidnapped during the October 7 attack, primarily children, in exchange for Israel handing over Palestinian criminals locked up in Israeli prisons. As agreed, the exchange was widely covered on networks and in the media. You could see the reception of the kidnapped people, their arrival in Israel, the reunion with their families and the attention of the authorities.

But on the other side the situation was very different. After the return of the Palestinians to the West Bank, faced with the complacency or inaction of the Palestinian Authority that governs the region, at least three savage executions occurred, profusely celebrated and documented by those attending. The military wing of Hamas executed three of the freed Palestinians on suspicion of spying for Israel. This execution was carried out by a firing squad, according to a document published by the organization.

Two of those executed were murdered in the city of Tulkarem and another in Jenin. Of course, Hamas did not hold any trial. The dead had no due process. Nor did Palestinian society demand it. Instead, hundreds of people participated in the event and documented the murder, as can be seen on X and other social media. The names of two of the three individuals massacred were revealed. They are Hamza Ahmed Hamza Mubarak, 31 years old, and Azam Jamal Hafid Jaubera, 29 years old. Mubarak lived in Tulkarem, while Javabra resided in Kfar Rai, Jenin.

Hamas' military wing in the West Bank maintains that the compatriots it murdered were accused of providing information to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israeli intelligence about wanted people. Hamza and Azzam had their hands and feet tied and their faces covered as they were dragged through the streets before being executed. After being shot, they were hung on a post, and then the bodies were thrown into the trash, horribly mutilated. Their body parts mixed with waste and bags can be seen with absolute clarity, thanks to the hundreds of videos that those gathered uploaded to social media. The macabre celebration and the murderous ecstasy of the participants chill the blood. In the videos, you can see a mob abusing the hanging bodies while the crowd shouts: "Traitors!"

In the mass media, the execution of three Palestinian civilians in the West Bank arouses little interest.

Hamas's impunity for carrying out these acts leaves many questions regarding the possibilities of resolving the conflict. The first is where was the Palestinian Authority while such a bloodthirsty rampage was taking place. Just a few hours ago, the president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, held a meeting in Ramallah with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and the prime minister of Belgium, Alexander de Croo. At this meeting, the three leaders discussed ending "this cycle of violence and building lasting peace." Will they do it with these security mechanisms? Will the world leaders understand what kind of leaders they are talking to? With the images of Hamza and Azzam tortured, mutilated, murdered and displayed for the satisfaction of a society thirsty for hatred towards Israel and towards its own members, does Ramallah intend to convince the world that they are capable of regaining control of Gaza? It sounds unlikely.

The crowd cheering the execution and publishing the crimes through their cell phones (by the way, how well-equipped is the Palestinian population with the latest generation of telephones and digital services!) represents the atmosphere of war in the West Bank, the lack of control by the Palestinian Authority and the moral decadence of that society.

News reports indicate that the truce could last more days if Hamas continues to release hostages, preventing the resumption of the war. The IDF understands this very well, but it is a price they seem willing to pay. Hamas will do everything possible to prolong the psychological war and thus deepen tensions in Israeli society. Meanwhile, demonstrations continue around the world in favor of the Palestinian cause, without considering the joy of the Palestinians themselves at the execution of two recently returned compatriot civilians. There will be no marches for the murdered. No one will ask for their human rights, no one will complain to Abbas for the lack of institutions, nor will they question him about the division of powers and the absence of fair trials. In the mass media, the execution of three Palestinian civilians in the West Bank arouses little interest. When Palestinians murder other Palestinians, it is not news.