Hamas Tries to Show Its Back in Charge of Gaza

As the cease-fire in Gaza was coming into effect on Sunday, masked gunmen, crowded into white pickup trucks, paraded through the streets of Gaza while supporters chanted the name of Hamas’s military wing.By sending its fighters out in an unmistakable show of force, Hamas was trying to deliver an unequivocal message to Palestinians in Gaza, to Israel and to the international community: that despite heavy losses during the war among Hamas’s fighters, police officers, political leaders and government administrators, it remains the dominant Palestinian power in Gaza.“The message is that Hamas is ‘the day after’ for the war,” said Ibrahim Madhoun, an analyst close to Hamas based in Turkey, using a phrase that refers to the future administration of Gaza.“They’re conveying that Hamas must be a part of any future arrangements, or at least, be coordinated with,” he added.On Sunday, the Hamas-run government media office announced that thousands of police officers were beginning to deploy throughout the territory to “preserve security and order.” Government ministries and institutions, the media office said, were prepared to start working “according to the government plan to implement all the measures that guarantee bringing back normal life.”At the Nasser Medical Complex in the southern city of Khan Younis, at least three uniformed police officers were standing as the Palestinian national anthem played in the background, according to a video posted on social media and verified by The New York Times.Later on Sunday, dozens of uniformed, gun-toting Hamas militants were seen in Saraya Square in Gaza City next to a car holding Israeli hostages before they were handed over to the Red Cross.

The militants were attempting to push away crowds of people pressing toward the car.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode ple...