Rights group: Hamas abusing Palestinians in Gaza

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Human Rights Watch says Hamas' security forces in Gaza are committing severe abuses, including torture of detainees, arrests without warrants, forced confessions, unfair trials and mock executions.

The leading international rights group released a 43-page report on Wednesday and called on the militant Hamas group to reform its various security forces.

Hamas took over Gaza in 2007 after bloody battles with the Western-backed Palestinian Fatah party.

Since then, the Palestinians have been split between the Hamas-controlled Gaza and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' government in the West Bank.

Hamas is considered a terror group by the U.S., the EU and Israel due to its suicide bombings and other attacks aimed at civilians that have killed hundreds of people.

There was no immediate reaction in Gaza to the report.

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