Hamas gunmen executed 18 Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel in the heart of Gaza City yesterday, as the deadly war between the Islamist movement and Israel reached day 46.

In broad daylight outside Gaza's largest mosque, a day after Israel killed three of the movement's top commanders, Hamas gunmen grabbed six men from among hundreds of worshippers spilling out on to the street, witnesses said.

They were pushed to the ground. One of the masked men shouted: 'This is the final moment of the Zionist enemy collaborators,' then the gunmen sprayed them with bullets.

Earlier, another witness saw 11 people shot dead in a square near the remains of Gaza police headquarters, bombed by Israeli warplanes. An 18th person was shot in front of bystanders in a separate incident nearby.

The Palestinian emergency services said another 75 people have died in Gaza since hostilities resumed on Tuesday following a nine-day truce. At least 2,091 Palestinians have been killed since July 8.-Reuters