The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and the human rights groups on Tuesday condemned the earlier execution of three Gaza residents who were convicted of committing homicide crimes by the deposed Hamas government in the Gaza Strip.

Ghassan al-Khatib, spokesman of the PNA in the West Bank, told Xinhua that the PNA condemns the execution of the three Palestinians, "these executions are illegal. The legal system in Gaza is messy."

Al-Khatib said any execution must be approved by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, adding "Hamas carried out all the executions without getting a written approval from the president."

Tuesday's execution of the three Palestinians by Hamas is the second since April 15, when Hamas executed two Palestinians convicted of being collaborators with Israel.

Meanwhile, director of the Gaza-based Independent Commission for Human Rights Jamil Sarhan told Xinhua that death penalty in Gaza must be halted, affirming that the Hamas government violated the Palestinian basic law for not gaining the approval of President Abbas to carry out the executions.

Security sources in Hamas government told Xinhua Tuesday that the three people executed were Aamer Jendeyya, Rami Joha and Mattar al-Shoubaki, adding "the three were accused of killing two men after robbing their money and a girl after raping her."

Hamas Ministry of Justice defended the execution on Tuesday, saying in a statement sent to reporters that the execution order was issued by the highest judiciary institutions that are authorized to make such kinds of judgment, adding "they were executed according to the Palestinian law."

"Executing the three people has become a title of the truth that can never be argued or debated," said the statement, adding " the families of the executed Palestinians were given their full legal rights to appeal to the court, and after they refused, the court's decision was implemented."

Ahmed Bahar, deputy spokesman of the Hamas-dominated parliament, said "implementing the execution is a legal means to protect the Palestinian society from security and social disorganization."

Bahar expressed his astonishment following the rights groups' criticism of the execution. He described their criticism as " negative," saying "the criticism is not accepted because it ignores the rights of the victims' families. It also aims at disturbing the government's performance."

In the Gaza Strip, people were divided into accepting and rejecting the execution. The families of the victims who were killed in the past for criminal reasons demonstrated in Gaza city in front of a Hamas security headquarter, calling for executing the murderers of their children.

Gaza resident Wisam, 27, who declined to reveal his family name, said he personally rejects the Tuesday execution, adding "the alternative to the execution is the life sentence due to the status of split between Gaza and the West Bank."

However, Rami, a 30-year-old resident in Gaza, who also declined to give his full name, said the execution cooled down the anger of the victims' families "because execution is a legal way instead of carrying out illegal revenge that would lead to more killings."

The military courts in the Gaza Strip had issued 23 execution sentences in 2008 and 2009, most of them were convicted of collaborating with Israel and other cases related to committing homicides. Five people have been executed since April, while 18 others will be executed.

Spokesman of Hamas Interior Ministry Ehab al-Ghussein on Monday said his ministry will soon resume executing Palestinians convicted of being collaborators with Israel, or committing murder crimes.

Ghussein told Al-Aqsa Television of Hamas that the aim of executing "criminals and collaborators with Israel is to deter those who target the Palestinian struggle."

"The ministry still offers a chance until June 10 for those among the Palestinian people who want to quit collaborating with Israel," Ghussein said, adding "those who insist on keeping collaborating with Israel will be punished."