Hamas has executed six Palestinians in Gaza and shot 13 others in the legs for alleged looting, the militant group said in a statement, as desperation grows under a complete Israeli blockade that has now entered its third month.

Hamas has executed a number of alleged looters after several incidents in which heavily armed gangs attacked food stores and community kitchens in the Gaza Strip this week, sources close to the Palestinian militant group said.

The crackdown follows a string of attacks by gangs on food distribution points across Gaza, which remains under an Israeli blockade that has largely prevented the entry of humanitarian aid for nearly