Hamas unit reportedly murders Palestinian, battles victim’s relatives at hospital

On June 27, Hamas’s Arrow Unit published a video showing the shooting and beating of two Palestinians accused of theft. The release is part of a series of statements and footage disseminated by the group since late 2024, warning Palestinians against carrying out criminal activity. However, statements and media publications raise questions about the group’s law-enforcement intentions.

In late 2024, the Hamas-run Ministry of Interior established the Arrow Unit, a force ostensibly created to act as law enforcement. Since it began operating, the group has carried out public beatings, shootings, and executions of Palestinians who were deemed to be criminals or colluding with Israel.

Since it began operation, acts committed by the Arrow Unit have been extensively documented and disseminated by the group. The unit operates a Telegram channel where it publishes statements about its activities, including threats of arrest and execution against Palestinians who break the law.

On June 28, the group published a statement demanding that 13 Palestinians turn themselves in to authorities within 48 hours or be sentenced to death in absentia by a firing squad. The Arrow Unit did not provide evidence linking the suspects to a crime, only citing that the suspects were involved in an incident at Nasser Hospital the night before.

The Arrow Unit has also targeted Palestinians who have participated in the anti-Hamas protests that have intermittently broken out in Gaza this year.

On June 24, the Arrow Unit said that “security forces” located Ahmed Muhammad al Masry and implemented “revolutionary punishment” for destabilizing “internal security.” However, some social media users posted statements on Facebook that derided Hamas, claiming it attacked a protester who disagreed with the Islamist group’s rule.

An unverified Facebook post under the name Muhammad al-Ashkar, published on June 26, stated that Hamas attacked Masry after he survived the war in northern Gaza and thwarted Israel’s plans to “empty the northern territory.” The post claimed that Hamas “shattered” Masri’s limbs because he held a sign at a protest that said, “Hamas does not represent us.”

In addition to warnings and statements related to the group’s activities, the Arrow Unit has published footage of its members carrying out various forms of punishment against those they have said are criminals.

Some of the videos depict Palestinians who confess to crimes they are accused of by the Arrow Unit, and other published material explains the reasons for the arrests and the punishments of the suspects. However, the group does not provide tangible evidence to link the suspect to a crime. The videos range from beatings to shooting suspects in the limbs to executions.

The Arrow Unit was also involved in a clash at a hospital with Palestinians who accused the group of murdering a relative.

On June 26, Israeli media reported an incident at a Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza. According to the report, the clash began after a member of the Barbakh family was shot and killed by a member of the Arrow Unit.

Following the killing, Arrow Unit operatives reportedly fled to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Armed members of the family reportedly went to the hospital to confront the Arrow Unit, and a fight broke out between the groups. Reports in Palestinian media claimed that members of the Barbakh family attacked the hospital but did not give a reason they committed the act. Alternately, unverified social media posts asserted that the Arrow Unit shot and killed a member of the Barbakhs, and the family responded by attacking the unit inside the hospital.

For now, the Arrow Unit continues to operate. However, the anti-Hamas Popular Forces led by Yaser Abu Shabab, including other clans opposed to the Islamist group, are emerging as a legitimate opposition.

Joe Truzman is an editor and senior research analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal focused primarily on Palestinian armed groups and non-state actors in the Middle East.