According to a report from the Hebrew news agency Tasnim, the Hebrew-language newspaper Ziman Yisrael has revealed that while the Trump administration is actively working to implement its vision for Gaza without Hamas, evidence indicates that Hamas has established a shadow government in Gaza. This organization is positioning its commanders and leaders within the new technocratic administration to retain its grip on the region and prepare for future confrontations with Israel.
The report highlights that President Donald Trump is vigorously advocating for a post-war Gaza that is not under Hamas control. However, documents obtained by Ziman Yisrael illustrate how Hamas is striving to recover its power and undermine occupying forces.
During a recent ‘Peace Council’ meeting held in Washington, Trump secured commitments worth approximately $7 billion for Gaza’s reconstruction, with five countries pledging to send troops to a nascent ‘International Stability Force’ aimed at replacing Israeli military presence in the area.Despite international efforts and optimistic statements made during the Peace Council and elsewhere it appears that Hamas is not genuinely willing to relinquish control over Gaza even if it does so only nominally. Instead there is evidence suggesting that the organization is actively preparing a shadow government refusing to disarm and seeking to integrate military leaders into civilian roles.
Approximately four months after the ceasefire in Gaza began Israel still controls over half of the territory while nearly two million residents live in areas that remain under Hamas’s authority. According to the agreement that ended the conflict Hamas is expected to transfer daily governance of Gaza to the Transitional National Council of Gaza. This fifteen-member technical committee led by Ali Shaath a former deputy minister of the Palestinian Authority operates under the supervision of Nikolay Mladenov the UN’s special coordinator responsible for the power transition in Gaza.
Ziman Yisrael has learned that Hamas is preparing to transfer records and files held in its offices. However documents obtained by Ziman Yisrael indicate that Izz al-Din al-Haddad who succeeded Mohammed al-Sinwar after his death in an Israeli attack last May has instructed Hamas members to prepare copies of every file for transfer to the new government.
A document presented by the Israeli military to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the end of January states that Hamas is taking steps to maintain its influence and control over Gaza ‘from the ground up’ by integrating its supporters into government ministries security mechanisms and local authorities.
