In total 14 people were sentenced for “collaborating with the occupation,” with five sentenced to be hanged and one shot, and eight others were sentenced to hard labor ranging from six to 15 years. It was not clear when the executions of those in custody would take place.

A Hamas interior ministry spokesperson said, “those convicted were linked to a communications and eavesdropping device planted by the (Israeli) occupation.”

The six condemned to death on Monday ranged in age from 29 to 55 and had each allegedly been working with Israeli intelligence for several years.

Among those sentenced to hang is a 55 year-old woman living inside Israel, who was sentenced in absentia. She is alleged to have encouraged her nephew in Gaza to collaborate with Israeli intelligence.

The Hamas spokesperson further stated, “Collaborators must realize the (Israeli) occupation will not be able to protect them.”

Human Rights Watch condemned the verdicts. Officially 28 executions have been carried out in Gaza since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 from Fatah. In practice many more Arabs have been summarily executed by Hamas militants merely by being suspected of collaboration with Israel since the takeover.