People are disappearing': Hamas fuels fear and revenge in Gaza's fragile 'day after'
More than two years after the war began, Gaza is changing again. Hamas is working to reestablish control, Israel hopes demilitarization will hold, and the international community is searching for a formula to rebuild and stabilize the shattered enclave. On the ground, however, amid the flags of Qatar and Egypt on bulldozers and tents rising in ruined camps, most Gazans share a single emotion — deep exhaustion from war and from life among the ruins.
With the ceasefire in effect, armed Hamas operatives quickly returned to the streets of Gaza in full uniform. Internal security and police units reappeared at major intersections, and local civil authorities — mayors, district heads, and bureaucrats — resumed activity. Hamas even appointed new governors, many of them former military commanders, and erected signs in surviving neighborhoods declaring: “We will bring Gaza back to life
For residents, the message was chillingly clear. “I thought after all the suffering, Hamas would leave us alone,” said Suliman, a resident of central Gaza. “But no. As soon as the war ended, when people were ready to return to their land, we saw Hamas men everywhere — some in uniform, some not. It’s like nothing happened, like we’re back to October 6. People are disappointed and scared.”
Despite widespread devastation, Hamas still enjoys a base of support among roughly one-third of Gazans, down from nearly 50% before the war — a smaller decline than expected given the disaster it brought upon the Strip. According to a new poll by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion (PCPO), 71% of Gazans believe “there is no winner in this war.” Most now yearn less for “resistance” and more for stability and survival. Hamas, however, has announced it will not allow a “security vacuum” in Gaza — even though, under the Trump plan, it was expected to disarm and relinquish control. Instead, it has launched a new campaign to reassert dominance internally, under the banner of “restoring governance and security.”
Hamas’ internal security units, Sahm and Rad’a, are leading what residents call a “hunt for collaborators.” The campaign includes public executions, arrests, torture sessions, and clashes with rival clans and militias. Notably, Hamas has targeted large families such as the Dughmush and al-Mujaida clans, accused of backing rival militias like Abu Shabab and al-Astal.
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