The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz highlighted Hamas’s quiet reassertion of control over the Gaza Strip, describing the movement’s control as “without governing, yet without collapse.”
The newspaper said that “statements by US President Donald Trump regarding the imminent formation of a Peace Council and the launch of multinational force operations did not impress Gaza’s residents. Since the announcement of the ceasefire, they have been living without an effective government and without a clear horizon. Reality on the ground has since made clear to them that even if Trump’s plans are implemented, this will happen slowly and will be accompanied by delays that may extend for many months.”
Haaretz quoted Gaza residents as saying that “Hamas, in areas not fully controlled by Israel, succeeds in maintaining a degree of order,” adding that “amid the ruins of homes and destroyed roads, there is no chaos, but life remains far from normal, and Hamas is very far from imposing full control.”
The newspaper reported that “the movement behaves in a restrained manner. It does not wave flags or fill public spaces with slogans, but it is present at intersections and checkpoints,” explaining that “Hamas demonstrates a clear security presence, yet it cannot govern and is trying to maintain order amid deep and ongoing civilian destruction.”
According to Haaretz, Hamas still rules, but not in the conventional sense of sovereign governance. It continues to manage tax mechanisms and control internal trade, but it is not an effective government. It does not provide broad public services, lacks organised budgets, and does not pay salaries.
The newspaper continued: “Local authorities in northern and central Gaza, as well as in Gaza City, operate with almost nonexistent resources. Using the few available bulldozers and heavy equipment, they repair some roads here and there, open a temporary water crossing, and restore parts of the infrastructure, but they are incapable of repairing the devastation.”
It confirmed that “most engineering work is focused on searching for the bodies of the missing beneath the rubble. At the same time, since the ceasefire, Hamas has been working to confront those who exploited the war for profit, and some traders and individuals involved in crime are attempting to leave the Gaza Strip.”
It added: “However, the phenomenon of looting and petty theft that was common at the beginning of the war has almost completely disappeared,” according to accounts cited from Gaza residents.
