The pockets of Hamas resurgence in the north and central parts of Gaza come as Israel’s defence minister has indicated that Israeli ground troops will soon advance on Rafah, now that they have “dismantled” the Khan Younis brigades.
The IDF said they had deployed their 99th division in Gaza City to create a barrier to block Hamas from reentering from the south of the Gaza Strip. The Institute for the Study of War on Sunday said that Hamas is continuing to infiltrate that barrier, having done so successfully more than 10 times since January 31.
While Hamas gunmen keep up attacks across Gaza’s main cities, Israel has withdrawn most of its reserve forces from Gaza to recoup and prepare for a likely war with Hezbollah on Israel’s northern front.
“If Hezbollah thinks that when there’s a pause in fighting in the south, we will hold fire against it, it’s sorely mistaken,” Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday as reports of another temporary ceasefire deal grew near.
An official from Hamas said its police had been employed in some parts of Gaza City in part to restore order and to prevent further looting as hunger continues to grow more severe.
Entire population at risk of famine
Saeed Abdel-Bar, a resident of Gaza City, said a cousin received funds from a makeshift Hamas office near the hospital that was set up to distribute $200 (£158) payouts to government employees, including police officers and municipal workers.
The war has decimated Gaza Strip’s infrastructure and left an entire population at immediate risk of famine.
Since seizing control of Gaza nearly 17 years ago, Hamas has been operating a government bureaucracy with tens of thousands of civil servants, including teachers, traffic and civil police who operate separately from the group’s secretive military wing.
The partial salary payments of $200 for at least some government employees signal that Israel has not delivered a knock-out blow to Hamas, even as it claims to have killed more than 9,000 Hamas fighters.
Ahmed Abu Hadrous, a Gaza City resident, said Israeli warplanes struck the area where the makeshift office is located multiple times earlier this week, including Saturday morning.
The indications that Hamas continues to retain some control over Gaza come amid delicate negotiations over a new truce as tensions inside Israel grow over the fate of the remaining 130 hostages.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
