The newspaper added, citing unnamed Israeli military sources, that "the local gangs that Tel Aviv supported during the final stages of the war, in the hope of challenging Hamas's rule, have either disintegrated, or their members have been eliminated or removed from the scene."
During the months of war, foreign government, human rights, and media reports indicated that Israel had formed and armed local gangs. These gangs, operating under the protection of the occupying army and in areas under its control, looted and stole the meager aid reaching the Gaza Strip and spread chaos throughout the territory.
Following the ceasefire that went into effect on October 10, the Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza announced in a statement that it was granting amnesty to gang members "not involved in bloodshed" to settle their status. It also pursued a number of individuals who refused to surrender to security forces, according to local sources.
Haaretz continued: "The Israeli army believes that Hamas has reasserted its control over the governing institutions in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect," and quoted unnamed Israeli military sources as saying that Tel Aviv "does not see anyone in Gaza capable of taking over from Hamas."
She explained that the occupation army had expected "protests" from Palestinians in Gaza against Hamas rule "due to their difficult living conditions," but that this did not happen. She noted that "Hamas controls Gaza at the municipal level, while occupying key positions in government offices with the aim of regaining control."
The newspaper added: "Hamas police are working unhindered to restore order, and have even begun cracking down on criminals exploiting the plight of Gaza's displaced."
In addition, Haaretz noted that "Hamas is carrying out road cleaning and infrastructure repairs, but is struggling to begin a serious reconstruction process that requires the participation of countries willing to cover costs estimated at tens of billions of dollars," it said.
The newspaper reported that many of the displaced have not yet returned to their homes in Gaza and the north, and are still waiting in the southern part of the Strip to confirm "that the war is truly over. They are also suffering financially due to the high costs of moving south during the fighting, or because there are no homes to return to," according to the newspaper.
Regarding the Rafah crossing, which Israel has controlled since May 2024, Haaretz noted that "Israeli political leaders have ordered that the Rafah crossing with Egypt not be opened at this stage, while talks with Egypt on the issue have been suspended to pressure Hamas to release all the bodies of the slain hostages.
Since the agreement came into effect, Hamas has handed over 20 living prisoners and the remains of 14 out of 28, most of whom are Israeli. Hamas says it needs more time and heavy equipment to retrieve the remaining bodies from under the rubble.
The newspaper quoted unnamed Israeli security sources as saying, "The crossing will open for the first time since last January, but work on the facility must be completed first, including, among other things, the establishment of inspection facilities."
During the January truce, Israel partially opened the Rafah crossing on an exceptional basis for a limited number of patients to travel abroad for treatment.
On the other hand, the newspaper noted that the foreign teams responsible for implementing the ceasefire agreement and supervising the provisions of its second phase "have not reached agreements on the most sensitive issues, such as ceasefire policies, as well as the identity of the multinational force, its location, its powers, and the extent of its cooperation with Hamas."
On Monday, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Israel, followed by Vice President Donald Trump's J.D. Vance today. These discussions focused on the next phase of the US plan for the region. These discussions, according to the newspaper Israel Hayom, include the formation of a multinational force in Gaza, the transfer of authority from Hamas, and the mechanism for disarming the movement.
