After two years of war, a brief ceasefire was signed in Gaza on October 10.
The dawn of peace has not brought peace, and Hamas is using the window period of the withdrawal of the Israeli Defence Forces to quickly restore its organizational structure to appear in the streets of Gaza’s major cities and re-establish absolute control over the entire territory.
On October 13, a temporary clinic of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program (GCMHP) in Gaza City was forcibly occupied by armed men. The staff of the agency had lost many facilities due to the war before. This time, they resumed services in rented houses, but were violently expelled.
Witnesses at the scene and various sources confirmed that Hamas militants carried out the operation; The World Health Organization strongly condemns this incident.
A Palestinian security official publicly said in Ramallah that Hamas’s behavior was “similar to that of Islamic State.”
According to an analysis of public data by the Daily Telegraph on Saturday, October 25 and interviews with security experts, Hamas is using systematic violence to eliminate local armed forces.
Kobe Michael, the former head of Palestinian affairs at Israel’s Department of Strategic Affairs, said Hamas was trying to redefine the post-war situation in Gaza to ensure its position was not shaken.
“Hamas has not changed its nature; they will never disarm or leave Gaza; their goal is to take control of the post-war situation.”
Armed destruction of the family.
Hamas’ first step is to eliminate its opponents, including those armed family groups that became more powerful during the war for various reasons, some of which have been secretly supported by Israel.
On the first weekend after the ceasefire, Hamas launched a violent attack on the Dogmush family, with prisoners being massacred, the scene being bloody and strongly condemned by the international community.
However, this is only the beginning. Other forces in the south, such as the Yasser Abu Shabab family, have also been eliminated. Due to the loss of Israeli air support, these armed families were almost helpless against the well-equipped and powerful Hamas militants.
Hamas continues to publish victory declarations on social media, attaching photos and videos of opponents 'bodies to showcase its "victory results."
Analysts say the brutal propaganda was designed to deter local families and showcase the massive amount of new equipment Hamas seized in the fighting, including SUVs and weapons, which may have partially come from Israeli aid.
In order to consolidate its rule, Hamas has also begun to strengthen its control over civilians.
According to Gazan political analyst Ahmad Fujid Al-Khatib, Hamas has resumed the “interrogation center” established during the war, partly located inside major hospitals. Dozens of people who have publicly criticized Hamas during the war or communicated with the outside have been “talked” and some social media activists have been disconnected.
Al Katib said: "They are creating fear and building deterrence. Hamas's message to the people is clear: We have survived two years of war and still exist. We will not disarm or accept international peacekeeping forces. You are our hostages."
U.S. Threats and Hamas Ignorance
U.S. President Trump warned in early October that Hamas would face "complete destruction" if it did not disarm, but Israeli security experts believe that Hamas does not believe in this threat.
Kobe Michael pointed out: "Hamas is well aware that Trump is more concerned about the first phase of the ceasefire, which is to end the war. As for the next details, he prefers to leave them to his subordinates."
Trump's main goal, he added, is to push for regional alliances rather than focus on the specific situation in Gaza.
He also pointed out that negotiations on the future of Gaza are currently being held in secret in Egypt, and the various forces in the Middle East are seriously divided on this issue.
Turkey and Qatar may push to maintain the status quo and make Hamas a part of the system. Countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates tend to let the Palestinian Authority play a more important role after the war.
The key to these negotiations is whether the proposed international stability force has the ability to disarm Hamas.Israel has made it clear that it will never allow Turkey to participate, but pressure from the White House may force it to change its stance.
At present, Indonesia and Azerbaijan are regarded as the countries most likely to send troops, but this does not give people confidence in this force.
Israeli security experts worry that this force may be unable to effectively curb the rise of new armed forces, like the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon.
For Gaza civilians, life is still lingering on the edge of the abyss. Hundreds of thousands of people still live in temporary tents, facing a cold winter and material shortage.
An anonymous resident said: "We just want to get out of this hell. Reconstruction is in the foreseeable future, and Hamas has rearmed and patrolled the streets. We didn't expect that when peace comes, we will still be greeted by guns."