{"id":209400,"date":"2025-10-13T08:28:19","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T08:28:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/209400\/"},"modified":"2025-10-13T08:28:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T08:28:19","slug":"hamas-reasserts-presence-in-gaza-strip-as-ceasefire-reaches-third-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/209400\/","title":{"rendered":"Hamas reasserts presence in Gaza Strip as ceasefire reaches third day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Members of the internal security forces loyal to the Palestinian group Hamas in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, on Sunday.EYAD BABA\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

As the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip<\/a> entered its third day on Sunday, Hamas members and fighters started reappearing in limited areas of the enclave, reasserting their presence and authority.<\/p>\n

The destruction of Hamas was a key Israeli<\/a> objective in the war<\/a>, and the militant group had almost disappeared from public view. But on Sunday, dozens of Hamas affiliates were seen back on the streets wearing civilian clothing or quasi-military uniforms, trying to direct traffic or monitor the markets, which were opening again because Israel\u2019s bombardment had stopped. <\/p>\n

Residents expressed mixed feelings. No one is officially in charge of the coastal territory\u2019s security. Law and order have collapsed. Some Palestinians said Hamas\u2019s presence could help to establish some order. But others worried it signalled a return to the harsh control Hamas imposed on the strip before the current conflict with Israel began in October, 2023. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t trust them much, but it is clear they are trying to control the situation after the war,\u201d said Mona Abdullah, a resident of the Bureij refugee camp. <\/p>\n

Under the terms of the ceasefire, which began Friday, the Israeli army has retreated from several areas inside the Gaza Strip, most notably the western neighbourhoods of Gaza City, such as Al Karama and Al Rashid Street, as well as parts of the northern sector. It also withdrew from most areas of Khan Younis in the south, leaving only limited military forces on its outskirts. And it retreated from parts of the Netzarim Corridor, which had separated the northern and central parts of the strip, allowing limited civilian movement between the two areas. <\/p>\n

In the resulting vacuum, it was not clear who was in charge. <\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s Gaza deal is brimming with hope but short on details and long-term solutions<\/a><\/p>\n

Israel-Hamas war: What to know about the attacks, casualties, hostages and the response<\/a><\/p>\n

On one road, between the Bureij refugee camp and Al Nuseirat area, Hamas set up a temporary checkpoint with men carrying weapons and sticks, their faces covered by masks. The road was noticeably busier, with large numbers of displaced people returning home, navigating rubble and burned vehicles. Hamas was stopping and inspecting cars. <\/p>\n

\u201cHow much did you take from the passengers?\u201d one armed man asked a driver carrying passengers as an informal taxi service. The driver answered hesitantly while another armed man inspected the car and questioned its occupants. They were checking whether the driver had overcharged or otherwise taken advantage of the passengers. After a few moments of tense silence, the driver was allowed to continue. <\/p>\n

The Hamas-run Gaza Government Media Office issued a statement that reports of the presence of armed members in the streets were false, describing them as \u201cmisleading information aimed at distorting reality.\u201d <\/p>\n

On Friday, Hamas and Israel reached a deal via indirect negotiators in Egypt to stop fighting as part of a first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s<\/a> 20-point plan to end the conflict for good. In exchange for Hamas releasing 20 living Israeli hostages on Monday and the remains of 28 others, Palestinian prisoners would be freed from Israeli jails and aid sent to Gaza. <\/p>\n

Thousands of displaced Palestinians streamed back towards their abandoned homes on Friday after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect and Israeli troops began pulling back from parts of Gaza.<\/p>\n

Reuters<\/p>\n

In a second stage, the much more difficult issues of Israel\u2019s withdrawal from the strip, an independent Palestinian state and Hamas\u2019s disarmament are expected to be determined. If armed Hamas members were to appear, this last point would be problematic for the ceasefire\u2019s viability. <\/p>\n

Hamas has begun pursuing rival armed groups that had formed in recent months, such as the Yasser Abu Shabab group, also known as the Popular Forces. The campaign succeeded in killing some members of these groups. Others were arrested.<\/p>\n

It also targeted Palestinian clans that Hamas accused of co-operating with Israel. In statements, Hamas claimed these measures were necessary to prevent security breakdowns and ensure that aid distribution could continue in an organized manner. However, the moves have increased feelings of instability in some areas as limited confrontations between armed factions continued adding new challenges to the gradual return of daily life. <\/p>\n

\u201cI saw them walking in the streets, trying to organize the market, remove random stalls, open roads, and sometimes stop cars,\u201d said Ahmad Nasser, a resident of Al Nuseirat. \u201cIt feels strange; we fear them, but at the same time, we feel they are trying to bring some order after the chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opinion: There is a Gaza ceasefire plan and the hostages are coming home. What\u2019s next?<\/a><\/p>\n

Gaza ceasefire would represent Trump\u2019s best deal yet, but there is still work to be done<\/a><\/p>\n

Access to food was an immediate concern for residents. Despite the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza after the ceasefire, the impact on the ground remained limited. Most trucks arrived through the Kerem Abu Salem crossing, while the Rafah crossing remained closed, limiting the ability to deliver supplies to all affected areas. In addition, some trucks were stolen or had their contents taken.<\/p>\n

One essential resource that finally reappeared for the first time in seven months was cooking gas. For many families, preparing food was a daily challenge as they relied on wood, leftover combustible materials or other unsafe alternatives because of severe fuel shortages. But volunteers distributing aid said it would not be easy to quickly get food and other essential items into the hands of Gazans.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople keep asking where the aid is, but in reality, there are no ready centres and no clear distribution system,\u201d said Lamis Eyad, a local volunteer. \u201cWe try to help as much as we can, but the situation is bigger than the capabilities of individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s bombardment of Gaza has left large swathes of the Strip in ruins, including parts of Gaza City which was the focus of Israel\u2019s offensive before the ceasefire.<\/p>\n

The Associated Press<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: Members of the internal security forces loyal to the Palestinian group Hamas in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":209401,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[901,888,902,879,877,903,48,876,895,896,891,878,875,46,549,295,894,887,914,880,881,893,43,889,890,884,904,885,909,910,44,912,907,911,905,908,882,898,899,714,897,906,865,61,41,39,42,40,900,892,886,883,913],"class_list":["post-209400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-alberta","tag-arts-news","tag-bc","tag-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news-video","tag-british-columbia","tag-canada","tag-canada-news","tag-canada-sports","tag-canada-sports-news","tag-canada-trafficcanada-weather","tag-canadian-breaking-news","tag-canadian-news","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-environment","tag-federal-government","tag-foreign-news","tag-globe-and-mail","tag-globe-and-mail-breaking-news","tag-globe-and-mail-canada-news","tag-government","tag-headlines","tag-life-news","tag-lifestyle","tag-local-news","tag-manitoba","tag-national-news","tag-new-brunswick","tag-newfoundland-and-labrador","tag-news","tag-northwest-territories","tag-nova-scotia","tag-nunavut","tag-ontario","tag-pei","tag-photos","tag-political-news","tag-political-opinion","tag-politics","tag-politics-news","tag-quebec","tag-sports-news","tag-technology","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-travel","tag-trudeau","tag-us-news","tag-world-news","tag-yukon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=209400"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209400\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/209401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=209400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=209400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=209400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}