יחזקאל, פרק י״א, פסוק ו׳

The prophet now moves from speaking in parables to delivering a direct explanation of the deadly consequences caused by the leaders' false sense of security. Believing they were completely safe from exile, the leaders of the people lost all restraint and freely engaged in evil [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. They stopped at nothing to maintain their power and achieve their goals, violently eliminating anyone who stood in their way [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Their cruelty was specifically directed at their own citizens. When certain residents sought to surrender and make peace with Nebuchadnezzar, the leaders aggressively fought and murdered them [מלבי״ם]. A careful distinction is made between public acts of violence and secret assassinations. Instead of striking down their opponents in the wide, open streets, the leaders used the narrow, hidden spaces behind the houses. They filled these secluded alleys with the bodies of their victims, allowing them to carry out their murders quietly and away from the public eye [מלבי״ם].