The Permanent Military Court in Gaza issued a 10-day ultimatum on Wednesday for five suspects to surrender themselves to the military judiciary, Safa News Agency has reported. The court said that the five suspects would be classified as fugitives if they do not comply, and will be tried and sentenced in absentia.
A statement by the court named the five as Riyadh Qishta, Fayiz Madi, Alaa Al-Shaer, Yazan Naseer and Mohamed Mazra’awi. It called on anyone who has any information on their whereabouts to hand it to the police.
Sources from the court told MEMO that the first four men named are believed to be involved in drug dealing and the fifth is accused of collaborating with the Israeli occupation.
During the ten years of Hamas control of the Gaza Strip, hundreds of drug dealers and collaborators were arrested and sentenced. At least ten collaborators were sentenced to death and either hanged or shot in public executions.