Hamas has tightened control over Gaza’s devastated cities, launching a fierce crackdown and executing individuals accused of collaborating with Israel, even as US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his determination to disarm the group.
The Israeli military announced that the remains of four more hostages were handed over to the Red Cross, following Monday’s release of four other bodies and the final 20 living captives.
Hamas broadcasted a video on its official channel showing the execution of eight blindfolded, kneeling men, labeling them “collaborators and outlaws.” The footage, reportedly filmed Monday evening, appeared amid ongoing gun battles between Hamas security units and armed Palestinian clans—marking the fifth day of a US-brokered truce with Israel.
In northern Gaza, following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza City, Hamas’s armed police returned to the streets to restore order. When buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners arrived in Gaza, members of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades maintained control over the jubilant crowds.
A newly formed Hamas security division, known as the “Deterrence Force,” has also been carrying out raids against armed groups allegedly linked to Israel. “Intense clashes broke out—and are still ongoing at the moment—as part of efforts to eliminate collaborators,” said a witness identified only as Yahya.
Residents reported heavy gunfire in Gaza City’s Shujaiya district, where Hamas forces clashed with the Hilles family. “We heard intense gunfire and explosions, and the security forces arrested some of them. We support this,” said another resident, Mohammed.
According to a Palestinian security official, the Deterrence Force is engaged in “ongoing field operations to ensure security and stability.” He added, “Our message is clear: There will be no place for outlaws or those who threaten the security of citizens.”
Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since ousting Fatah in 2007, faces renewed pressure from Israel and Washington. Israel insists that Hamas must return the remains of 24 more hostages, relinquish its weapons, and play no role in Gaza’s future governance.
President Trump’s Gaza plan—endorsed at a Cairo summit—calls for complete demilitarization of the enclave and offers amnesty to Hamas members who “decommission their weapons.” “If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them,” Trump said at the White House, warning the process could be “quick and perhaps violent.”
Despite the tension, some Gaza residents welcomed the return of Hamas police. “After the war ended and the police spread out in the streets, we started to feel safe,” said Abu Fadi Al-Banna in Deir al-Balah. “They began organizing traffic and clearing the markets. We felt protected from thugs and thieves.”
Another displaced resident, Hamdiya Shammiya, said, “Thank God the war is finally over. We’ve started to breathe a little… Our lives now need patience, order and the safety that the police have started to restore.”
Meanwhile, Israel confirmed that the remains of four more hostages were handed over to the Red Cross and identified some victims, including Israeli citizen Guy Iluz and Nepali student Bipin Joshi. The Families Forum advocacy group also named the other two as Yossi Sharabi and Daniel Peretz.
Sharabi’s widow, Nira, said, “Now we can finally bring closure to the nightmare that began over two years ago, and give Yossi the dignified and loving burial he deserves.”
President Trump, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, hailed the ceasefire and Gaza plan as “a major step toward lasting peace,” later signing a declaration in Egypt intended to reinforce the truce.
What You Should Know
The latest developments in Gaza underscore a fragile balance between fragile peace and renewed violence.
Hamas’s internal crackdown reveals its bid to reassert dominance after the ceasefire, while President Trump’s hardline disarmament stance signals a potential shift in US engagement.
As Gaza attempts to rebuild, questions remain over the long-term viability of the truce and the humanitarian toll left in its wake.
