A military court in the Gaza Strip has sentenced six people to death for espionage with Israel, a spokesman for the Hamas-run Interior Ministry said Monday.
“THE VERDICT IS A CLEAR MESSAGE TO ISRAEL”
“The court also slapped four people with a 15-year jail term each for collaboration with hostile parties,” Iyad al-Bazm told a press conference held in Gaza City. He said four other people, including a woman, were also slapped with jail terms ranging between 6 to 10 years in prison on similar charges. “The verdicts are a clear message to spies of the [Israeli] occupation,” al-Bazm said.
Security agencies in the blockaded Gaza Strip launch frequent crackdowns on suspected spies. Such suspects always face trial behind closed doors, while the media is usually prevented from covering the proceedings.
Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, home to nearly two million Palestinians, badly affecting all aspects of livelihood in the Palestinian territory.