GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The Gaza Center for Human Rights strongly condemned the extrajudicial execution committed by an Israeli-backed armed militia operating in an area under Israeli control east of Rafah, targeting Palestinian civilians and publishing horrifying images of their killing.
In a statement, the center said it was deeply alarmed by the militia’s announcement that it carried out what it called a “revolutionary sentence” against Montaser Abu Samak and Mujahid Abu Sousin. The statement emphasized that the killing constitutes an extrajudicial execution under all standards of international humanitarian law and cannot be justified or given any legal cover.
The rights group noted that the current leader of the militia published gruesome images of the victims’ bodies on social media, without any indication of the conditions of their detention or treatment.
This reveals the brutal nature of the crime and a clear intent to spread fear and celebrate the killings, the center added.
This is the second time the armed group has published such images of people it killed in horrifying ways, an act that further violates human dignity and the sanctity of the body and reflects a complete lack of oversight or legal regulation.
The center stressed that the militia operates in an area under full Israeli military control and receives direct protection from Israeli forces. The militia has previously been involved in field operations on behalf of the occupation, including murder, robbery, and abduction of Palestinian men and women, making it a de facto extension of the Israeli occupation structure under international legal responsibility.
Under international law concerning wrongful acts, Israel bears full responsibility for the crime. Any country supplying the militia with weapons, vehicles, or any form of support that enables violations also shares in that responsibility.
The Gaza Center for Human Rights stated that what the militia committed is a clear violation of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits execution or liquidation without a fair trial. It constitutes a war crime that demands both individual and international accountability. It also amounts to a gross violation of the right to life, a right that must never be compromised, even during armed conflict.
The center called for an immediate and independent international investigation into the incident and all other crimes committed by the militia, urging full accountability for all those involved, including commanders, perpetrators, and supporters.
It also called on all states and institutions to raise their voices and take action to stop the crimes committed by this militia and to withdraw support from all parties that enable its operations.
The center further urged states to halt arms and equipment transfers to such groups, in line with their legal obligations to prevent serious crimes and avoid complicity in sustaining them.
The statement concluded by warning that allowing these militias to operate under Israeli protection entrenches a dangerous environment of impunity and opens the door to further extrajudicial killings of Palestinian civilians.
