Hamas executes two 'collaborators'

THE Hamas government has executed two men accused of collaborating with Israel, signalling a sharp escalation in the militant Palestinian group's method of controlling the Gaza Strip.

It was the first time the death penalty has been carried out in Gaza since Hamas violently seized power in the coastal area in 2007. The bodies of the men, convicted by military tribunals in 2008 and 2009, were dumped at Gaza City's main hospital yesterday.

The executions drew condemnations from human rights groups and were likely to deepen the isolation of Hamas.

Human rights groups have criticised the Hamas military tribunals, saying they often rely on confessions obtained through torture. Bill Van Esveld, of New York-based Human Rights Watch, said the executions were a "very severe step backwards" for Hamas.

Three more convicted informers remain on death row in Gaza, along with six murderers. In addition, six men have been sentenced to death in absentia, according to the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights.