Shortly after President Trump declared the two-year-long war between Israel and Hamas over, Hamas terrorists in Gaza took to executing their political opponents in public squares, with several of the videos circulating on social media.
An Israeli military official told Fox News Digital that the videos show "Hamas’s deliberate attempt to show the killing publicly and reestablish its rule by terrorizing civilians."
Gazans themselves have described terrorist fighters attempting to reassert their control over the Gaza Strip, but some remain positive that the ceasefire and international coordination might allow them to make real change.
Mukhaimar Abu Saada, a political analyst from Gaza, said that disarming Hamas, a step required in President Trump's peace plan, will be extremely difficult to achieve. Especially after a Hamas spokesperson declared on Friday, and reiterated again on Monday, that the group would never lay down its weapons.
"This won’t happen quickly," Saada said. "We’re talking about an ideological organization. Even last night, people were killed in clashes between Hamas and local militias. It’s not a rosy road."
Saada further stated that Hamas has given collaborators with Israel until October 19th to turn themselves in and seek amnesty from Hamas, a likely death sentence for any who tries.
"They’re still strong," he said. "Part of the reason they didn’t fight harder in the last days is that they saved some men and weapons for the day after. I still see Hamas police in the streets of Gaza. Trump said they lost thousands, but they’re still there, able to control the streets once Israel redeploys."
A Gazan who asked to remain anonymous said that despite the declarations from world leaders, "You cannot say the war is finished. We have to wait a few weeks to see what happens. There are gangs in Gaza now; Hamas is trying to fight them. If they don’t unify, another war could start."
"Hamas is not strong like before. Those who remain are mostly police — not the real Hamas people who believe in their extremist jihadist ideology. We have to watch what happens next and see if they rebuild," he continued.
He argued that the very survival of Hamas depended on whether they would take the peace deal. But he described the situation as strange, noting that "It’s not a real deal yet. We need someone from Hamas to explain what they agreed to, because we need to think about our future."
Another Gazan voiced similar concerns about the uncertainty for the future.
"No one knows what is happening — who will rule, what will happen with Hamas, and if the war is truly over. We hope for a better future. I just want me and my family to live without targeting, without bloodshed," he said. "People just want the blood to stop. They want to stop losing their relatives and friends … It’s in their hands now — if they will allow Hamas to continue or finally rise up. But nothing is clear."
Saada said that whatever happens, Hamaw must be disarmed.
"The real question is who will hold those weapons," he said. "The Palestinian Authority or the so-called ‘security stabilization force’ that’s supposed to deploy next. It’s definitely going to happen, but we have to wait for the second phase of the negotiations."