A Hamas military court on Sunday sentenced three Fatah members to death after finding them guilty for killing two Hamas-affiliated journalists two years ago in Gaza.

Two of the suspects received judgment by default since they have fled the Gaza Strip when Hamas seized control of the territory in June 2007. The third accused person stood on the trial.

The judge, Mohammed Nofal, said the three criminals were charged with the kidnapping and the killing of Mohammed Abdo and Suleiman al-Ashi, two local journalists who worked for Felesteen, a pro-Hamas daily. The killing took place on May 13, 2007.

The three perpetrators were members of the presidential guard forces who were in charge of providing security for president Mahmoud Abbas, the chief of Fatah party, when he was based in the Gaza Strip before Hamas routed his forces in June 2007.

The court's decision is subject to appeal but carrying the death sentence out requires a written approval from the Palestinian president.

Since Hamas took over Gaza, it staged trials and issued death sentences by default or in the presence of the suspected against its opponents who were mostly from Fatah.

None of the capital sentences was officially carried out but human rights groups accused Hamas of killing tens of its political opponents who fled the Gaza central prison when Israel attacked the facility during its three-week war from December 2008 to January 2009.