By Taghreed Saadeh
The recent on the spot executions carried out by Hamas in Gaza following the ceasefire have exposed a deep moral and intellectual crisis within Palestinian society. The sight of dozens of civilians executed outside the law, under the pretext of “collaboration,” mirrors the ideology of ISIS, an ideology built on bloodshed and absolute accusation.
What happened is not a mere overreaction or an isolated mistake; it reflects a dangerous transformation in the Palestinian political consciousness, where violence against fellow Palestinians has become part of the so-called logic of “resistance.”
The justification of such killings and worse, their open defense by some academics and journalists reveals the emergence of a Palestinian version of ISIS like thinking, hidden behind slogans of struggle and resistance.
For eighteen years under Hamas’s rule in Gaza, accusations of “betrayal” have been repeatedly used to silence dissent, without due process or transparency. Each war brings the same tragic scene, internal bloodshed disguised as patriotism and collective accusations against anyone who refuses to cheer for the movement.
But the deeper question remains, When did “resistance” become a cover for oppression and repression?
What we face today is not only the Israeli occupation, but also a distortion of Palestinian awareness, where many now tolerate repression in the name of the cause. When intellectuals justify the execution of citizens without trial, they provide a cultural shield for what is, in truth, a crime against humanity.
This elite silence recalls the experience of extremist groups in the region movements that began under the banner of “defending faith” and ended by slaughtering their own people in its name. The only difference is that in Gaza, the slogans are raised in the name of “resistance” instead of “the caliphate.”
What is happening in Gaza today, the public executions and suppression of dissent, is not just a crisis of governance; it is a crisis of thought that is eroding the very essence of resistance. When “resistance” turns into a power above the law, killing in the name of “the people” while hiding underground as civilians die above, it loses both its moral and national legitimacy.
The ISIS mentality is born from silence from justifying injustice under the banner of great causes. When the media and elites remain quiet, citing “difficult circumstances,” that silence becomes complicity, and Palestinian blood becomes cheaper than ever.
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