Can the ceasefire agreement in Gauze between Israel and Hamas led to an end to deadly clashes and bloody bombings, but the extremist Islamist group is “gaining ground” by other means.
In particular, Hamas realizes that until the international community takes action for the next day in Gaza, which will be about political governance and the reconstruction of the Palestinian enclave, it has space and time to expand its influence.
From regulating the price of chicken to taxing cigarettes, Hamas is seeking to expand its control over Gaza as US plans for the enclave’s future slowly begin to take shape, bolstering the argument of those who believe it has no intention of handing over power as promised.
After the implementation of the armistice on 10 October 2025, Hamas quickly re-established control over areas from which Israeli forces withdrew; killing dozens of Palestinians which he blamed for cooperation with it Israel, for theft or other crimes, under the gaze of the international community which is supposed to be asking the organization to disarm and withdraw from governance.
However, it has not been agreed who will replace her. Now residents say they feel more and more Hamas’ control over the affairs of the Palestinian enclave.
Authorities control everything entering Hamas-controlled areas, impose taxes in some privately imported products, such as oil and cigarettes, and fines to merchants who overcharge for goods.
The testimonies come from ten Gazans, three of whom are traders who have direct knowledge of what they are testifying about.
Ismail Al-Thawabta, head of the Hamas government’s press office, said reports that Hamas taxes cigarettes and fuel are inaccurate and denied that the government imposes taxes.
The longer the international community delays, the more entrenched Hamas will be
The official insists that the authorities are fulfilling urgent humanitarian and administrative missions while making persistent efforts to control prices, and reiterated that Hamas is ready to hand over governance to a “new technocratic administration” and that it is trying to prevent chaos in Gaza: “Our goal is to make the transition go smoothly».
Hatem Abu Dalal, owner of a mall in Gaza, says prices are high because not enough products are being imported. Government officials try to bring order to the economy by conducting inspections, controlling products and setting prices, he says.
Mohammed Khalifa shops in the Nuseirat district in the center of the Gaza Strip and says prices are constantly changing despite efforts to regulate. “It’s like a stock market…Prices are high. There is no income, conditions are difficult, life is difficult and winter is coming.”
And while the formation of a transitional authority, the deployment of a multinational security force, the disarmament of Hamas, the start of reconstruction … included in the Trump plan are at ground zero, a Reuters report, citing a multitude of sources, raises the prospect of the de facto division of the Gaza Strip, at a time when Israeli forces control more than half of the enclave’s territory and efforts implementation of the next phases of the peace plan are not working.
Almost the entire population of the Gaza Strip lives in areas controlled by Hamaswhich seized control of the enclave from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the Fatah movement in 2007.
According to Gaith al-Omari of the Washington Institute, at this stage, Hamas’s actions are intended to show the people of Gaza and foreign powers that it cannot be bypassed.
«The longer the international community delays, the more entrenched Hamas will become».
State Department: “Hamas will not govern”
Asked about resident testimony about Hamas’s current actions on price controls, taxation, etc., a State Department spokesman said: “That is why Hamas cannot and will not rule Gaza».
A new government for Gaza can be formed once the UN approves Trump’s plan, the spokesman said, adding that progress has been made towards the formation of a multinational security force.
The Palestinian Authority is pressing for a say in the new Gaza government, while Israel rejects the prospect of the enclave being ruled by the Palestinian Authority.
Fatah’s spokesman in Gaza, Muder al-Hagek, said Hamas’ actions “are a clear indication that Hamas wants to continue to rule.”
In areas under Israeli military control, Palestinian organizations opposed to Hamas have developed a presence in an attempt to gain some influence as a counterweight.
“They record everything”
Meanwhile, the people of Gaza continue to face appalling living conditions, despite the influx of more humanitarian aid since the implementation of the ceasefire.
A major food importer in Gaza says that Hamas has not implemented a policy of universal taxation, but “they see and record everything.”
They check everything that comes in, with checkpoints on the roads, stopping trucks and questioning the drivers, he says, avoiding to reveal his name. The profiteers are fined, which helps lower some prices, but they remain much higher than they were before the war began, and people complain that they have no money.
The Hamas government in Gaza employed about 50,000 people, including police, before the war. The head of the Hamas government press office states that thousands of them have been killed and those who remain are ready to continue working under the orders of a new government.
During the war Hamas continued to pay their salaries, although it cut the high salaries and capped the pay at 1,500 shekels ($470) a month, according to Hamas sources and economists familiar with the matter. Hamas is believed to have disbursed cash reserves to pay the salaries, according to a diplomatic source.
The Hamas government has replaced four local governors who were killed, Hamas sources said. A Hamas official said the organization has also replaced 11 members of its political bureau who died.
Mustafa Ibrahim, an activist and commentator from Gaza City, says Hamas is taking advantage of delays in Trump’s plan to “consolidate its rule.” “She will be allowed to continue doing the same until an alternative government is installed,” he says.