On Monday, the governing body in Gaza was dissolved, 20 years since Hamas seized power.
Truly, this was a historic moment.
Or at least that was what the terror militia would have the world believe, as a spokesman claimed the seeming change would “remove any pretexts for the occupation, which continues its aggression and war of extermination”.
The view in Israel was very different: that the dissolution represented only the most superficial attempt to present good faith as Hamas remains determined to hold on to power.
At the heart of the theatrics is the question of disarmament – a key issue that has been repeatedly kicked down the road.
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar called out the deception in withering terms as he warned that the future of Gaza threatens to replicate the catastrophic recent past of Lebanon.
He posted: ‘Hamas’s apparent willingness to ‘make room’ for a technocratic government is designed to prevent its own disarmament.
“Hamas seeks to replicate the ‘Hezbollah model’ in Gaza: a technocratic administration would be responsible for garbage collection and other municipal services, while Hamas would remain the dominant military force.
“As long as Hamas retains its weapons, any civilian government will of course operate as Hamas dictates.”
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Hamas gunmen in Gaza City (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP via Getty)AFP via Getty Images
That is the reality from the point of view of Jerusalem, and never mind the upcoming election: whoever replaces Benjamin Netanyahu is certain to take an equally sceptical view.
But, for now, among the international community it seems the question is no longer, “How do we remove Hamas?”, but rather: “How do we manage Gaza while Hamas remains?”
That represents an enormous shift from the immediate aftermath of the October 7 attacks. Back then there was broad international consensus: Hamas had to be dismantled along with its ability to govern Gaza, threaten Israel and continue its violent repression of Palestinians.
This objective was embedded in the postwar vision.
The Board of Peace – the international body established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 to oversee Gaza’s postwar reconstruction and security transition – was created to coordinate humanitarian aid, reconstruction, civilian governance and the demilitarisation of Gaza.
The US-brokered ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, was built on similar assumptions. Leading its central aims were the return of the remaining hostages, both living and dead, and the dismantling of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.
The latter objective has yet to be achieved; the next phase of the US plan for Gaza remains unresolved.
Instead, worryingly, there are clear indications that Hamas is preparing for another onslaught by biding its time.
President Donald Trump (C) holds up his signature on the founding charter for Board of Peace (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)Getty Images
Last week, according to Israeli media, senior officers in the Israel Defense Forces’ Military Intelligence Directorate and Southern Command warned Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir that Hamas’s military wing is preparing for another round of conflict.
The report said Hamas is manufacturing hundreds of explosive devices and anti-tank missiles each month, recruiting new fighters between the ages of 18 and 22, rebuilding tunnel infrastructure destroyed during the war and attempting to smuggle drones and communications equipment into Gaza from Sinai.
The findings have not been independently verified but the concerns are increasingly echoed by Israeli officials.
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is known for his honest straight talk.
Last month, he acknowledged that only the IDF is capable of disarming Hamas.
Naturally, Gaza border communities who have moved back even though Hamas haven’t been dismantled are extremely concerned.
Meanwhile, the IDF continues to announce near-daily operations against Hamas operatives inside Gaza.
Israeli sources argue that these operations illustrate a reality that receives comparatively little international attention: Hamas remains an active military force.
A woman walks past UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City (Photo by BASHAR TALEB/AFP via Getty)AFP via Getty Images
An Israeli official told the JC that while Israel has confronted threats on multiple fronts since October 7, “Gaza remains the most urgent.”
The official said: “Hamas is using this time to strengthen its hold over Gaza and rebuild its arsenal.
“It is clear they never intended to disarm. We cannot afford to ignore a growing Hamas.”
Yedioth Ahronoth commentator Nahum Barnea reported last week that the US administration had decided to shift away from Hamas’ disarmament, which was part of Trump’s 20-point plan.
According to the report, it appears Washington intends to move ahead with the second phase of its plan, allowing the gradual reconstruction of areas of Gaza under Israeli control, despite Hamas not having been disarmed.
While international attention has increasingly shifted toward the vital and urgent priority of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the question of Hamas’ disarmament has largely receded from the centre of diplomatic discussions.
In the UK, the government has announced a £23 million funding package for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa).
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the cash would provide essential food, water, education and medical assistance to Palestinian refugees, adding that humanitarian agencies must be allowed to operate safely.
Hours later, the Board of Peace issued a sharply contrasting statement.
“Unrwa has no place in the new Gaza,” it said. “We are turning the page on the complex of perpetual aid dependency and conflict.
“The people of Gaza deserve better.”
Israel ambassador to the UN Danny Danon address the Security Council in New York, February 28, 2026 (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty)AFP via Getty Images
The debate over Unrwa has itself become highly contentious.
Critics point to allegations concerning the agency’s staff and governance.
UN Watch has alleged that hundreds of Unrwa employees have ties to terrorist organisations.
Israel has accused a number of Unrwa employees of involvement in the October 7 attacks, allegations that prompted investigations, dismissals and renewed scrutiny of the agency’s oversight.
UN Ambassador to Israel Danny Danon told the JC: “Too many European governments, including the UK, remain stuck in the October 6 mindset, refusing to recognise that October 7 changed everything.
“Every pound sent to Unrwa after everything we know today is a political choice.
“The world has acknowledged that a different future for Gaza is needed.
“It’s time for governments to stop financing failed institutions and start supporting real solutions that promote peace, accountability, and stability.
“The fact that Unrwa only recently dismissed 70 employees proves that the problem was never Israel’s criticism. The problem was the world’s refusal to listen.”
Sources inside Gaza told the JC that Hamas continues to exercise significant authority inside the territory through fear and violence.
Reports from Gaza continue to suggest that Hamas remains capable of suppressing internal dissent, despite Israel controlling 60 per cent of the strip and creating a security buffer zone.
Recently stories have emerged of a female beaten, bloodied and tortured last week for communicating with the Palestinian Authority: a man killed for “collaborating” with Israel; Gazan women testifying they are coerced into sexual acts for aid. Last week, activists attempted to organise an anti-Hamas demonstration.
The rally was stifled after armed Hamas members threatened participants.
The terror group’s regional alliances remain intact. The public appearance of senior Hamas figures alongside Iranian leaders at the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last weekend underscored that the organisation continues to see itself not as a defeated movement, but as a central player in the region’s so-called “Axis of Resistance”.
It very much seems Hamas never intended to disarm, and it has succeeded in buying time. If recent intelligence is correct, it is using the ceasefire to rearm, recruit and prepare for the next war.
Did Hamas win by purely surviving, because the world’s focus has shifted from dismantling the group to managing Gaza despite it?
Netanyahu said on Sunday that Gaza’s reconstruction must be contingent on Hamas being disarmed and the territory demilitarised.
“There will be no reconstruction in Gaza without dismantling and demilitarising the Strip,” Netanyahu told his cabinet.
If the international community has quietly accepted Hamas as a permanent feature of Gaza’s future, it should at least acknowledge that this is something Israel will never accept and prepare for the inevitable resumption of war.
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