GAZA CITY / WASHINGTON — Four months into a fragile US-mediated ceasefire, a quiet but significant reclamation of power is unfolding across the Gaza Strip.
Even as President Donald Trump’s "Board of Peace" moves toward the reconstruction phase of its regional roadmap, Hamas has begun a systematic re-consolidation of its administrative and security apparatus on the ground.
Governance in the Shadows
Despite the devastating toll of the recent conflict—which left over 72,000 dead and much of the enclave’s infrastructure in ruins—Hamas is proving its resilience is as much bureaucratic as it is military. Reports from Gaza’s markets and municipal hubs indicate that the group has resumed tax collection, market policing, and the management of government services.
"Hamas has regained control of more than 90% of the areas where it maintains a presence," says local activist Mohammed Diab. This rapid return to civil administration complicates the "Phase Two" objective of transferring power to a new, neutral technocratic council.
The Disarmament Deadlock
The central pillar of the Trump administration's peace plan is the total disarmament of Hamas—a condition U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff maintains is non-negotiable for the release of massive reconstruction funds.
However, Hamas leadership remains ideologically entrenched. The group continues to supervise medical evacuations and high-level appointments, signaling to the international community that it does not intend to vanish from the political landscape.
While the IDF warns that failure to disarm will inevitably lead to renewed military action, negotiators are stuck on the logistics:
Verification: Who audits the tunnels and arsenals?
Scope: Which weapons are surrendered versus kept for "internal security"?
Authority: Will the proposed International Stabilization Force—potentially involving troops from Indonesia and Egypt—actually have the mandate to enforce these terms?
A Three-Layered Gamble
Under the current U.S. proposal, Gaza’s future is designed to operate through a complex hierarchy:
Local Level: A technocratic council managing daily affairs.
Regional Level: An Executive Committee based outside Gaza.
Global Level: The "Board of Peace," chaired by Donald Trump, holding the purse strings for reconstruction.
Critics and local Palestinians alike have expressed skepticism, with many fearing the "Board of Peace" represents a form of external oversight that sidelines local agency. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis remains acute; with hundreds of thousands still homeless, the slow pace of the "disarmament-for-aid" trade-off is being felt most by the civilian population facing a harsh winter.
The Critical Window
The coming weeks represent a "make-or-break" period for the ceasefire. With low-level skirmishes still occurring daily between Israeli forces and Hamas units, the transition from a military standoff to a governed reconstruction depends entirely on whether the Board of Peace can break the deadlock over Hamas’s weapons.
For now, Gaza exists in a state of "Dual Power"—where international blueprints for peace meet the hard reality of Hamas’s enduring grip on the street.
Social Media Snapshot (News Portal Style)
Headline: 🛑 Gaza’s "Dual Power" Struggle: Can Trump’s Peace Plan Survive a Hamas Resurgence?
Hamas is reportedly back in control of 90% of its previous administrative areas, collecting taxes and policing markets just as Phase Two of the U.S. Peace Plan demands their total disarmament.
The Standoff:
🔹 Trump’s Board of Peace: Demands weapons surrender before full reconstruction.
🔹 Hamas: Reasserting civil control and resisting disarmament.
🔹 The People: Caught between a winter humanitarian crisis and a fragile ceasefire.
Is a technocratic government possible under the shadow of armed resistance?
Read our deep dive: https://thereporter24.com/news/hamas-consolidates-control-in-gaza-amid-trump-s-phase-two-peace-plan
No comments: