Hamas has been accused of brutally killing a protester and leaving his body on his family’s doorstep as a warning against future demonstrations against its rule in the Gaza Strip. Uday Al Rabbay, 30, was kidnapped after participating in an anti-Hamas protest earlier this week, which saw over 50,000 Palestinians killed in the ongoing war with Israel.
According to Mazen Shat, a senior police officer affiliated with Fatah, Hamas tortured Al Rabbay for four hours, leaving him with open wounds and bruising. The young man’s family reported that he was returned dead and bloody to his home days later.
Anti-Hamas chants were heard during the protest, marking one of the largest demonstrations in Gaza since Hamas took control of the territory in 2007. Protests have been rare in the area, with fear of violent crackdowns deterring people from speaking out against the group.
Former parliamentary candidate Sam Habeeb described the incident as “the first time Gaza witnessed such large-scale protests” and condemned the violent crackdown on protesters as “criminal and unacceptable.” Hamas won a majority in 2006 after Palestinian voters rejected Fatah’s rule, but support for the group has since waned amid mounting death tolls.
Critics warn that Hamas would now label those who have been killed as collaborators, a crime punishable by death. Hamza Howidy, a Gazan-born exile, has experienced torture and imprisonment twice for protesting against Hamas in 2019 and 2023.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/hamas-torture-protester-death-leave-162031455.html