Hamas Resurfaces in Gaza City Despite Israeli Attacks
Hamas, the militant group ruling the Gaza Strip, has started to resurface in areas where Israeli forces withdrew a month ago. Police officers have been deployed, and partial salary payments have been made to some civil servants in Gaza City, according to residents and a senior Hamas official. This indicates the group’s resilience in the face of Israel’s recent air and ground campaign. Israel has been determined to crush Hamas and prevent its return to power in Gaza, which it has controlled since 2007.
Israeli forces have launched renewed strikes in the western and northwestern parts of Gaza City, targeting areas where some salary distributions were reported. Residents of Gaza City have witnessed uniformed and plainclothes police officers near police headquarters and government offices, including near Shifa Hospital. These sightings have been followed by Israeli airstrikes near these locations.
The return of police officers is an attempt by Hamas to restore order in the devastated city after Israeli forces withdrew from northern Gaza. Hamas leaders have given directions to reinstate order in the areas where Israeli forces have withdrawn, including preventing looting and securing abandoned shops and houses.
Residents have reported receiving partial salary payments of $200 from makeshift Hamas offices. These payments indicate that Israel’s attacks have not delivered a knockout blow to Hamas, despite its claims of killing thousands of Hamas fighters.
Meanwhile, combat continues in southern Gaza, with at least 11 people injured when Israeli military fired smoke bombs at displaced people sheltering at the Palestinian Red Crescent headquarters in Khan Younis. The Red Crescent reported a siege on its facilities by the Israeli military for 12 days, during which 43 people, including three staff members, were killed and 153 injured.
In Rafah, on the border with Egypt, two separate airstrikes killed at least 17 people, including women and children. The airstrikes hit residential buildings, leaving some children trapped under rubble.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in the destruction of vast areas in Gaza, displacing 85% of the population and causing a quarter of the residents to face starvation.
International mediators are working to close the wide gaps between Israel and Hamas over a proposed ceasefire deal. Hamas continues to hold dozens of captives, while over 100 were released during a one-week truce in November.
In a separate development, the United States launched an air assault on sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. This was in retaliation for a drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan.
The situation in Gaza remains tense as Hamas seeks to regain control and Israel continues its efforts to crush the group. The international community is working to find a resolution and bring an end to the devastating conflict.
