Hamas Security Forces Reappear in Gaza Amid Ceasefire Implementation

Hamas's internal security operatives have made their first public appearance in Gaza since the recent ceasefire took effect, according to footage released by Hamas-affiliated media on Friday. The limited deployment appears aimed at demonstrating Hamas's continued influence in the region, despite the toll of two years of conflict.

Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas has committed to releasing the remaining 48 hostages early next week. However, the group has resisted subsequent elements of the U.S.-brokered plan, including disarmament and exclusion from post-war governance. Hamas insists on retaining some weapons as long as the broader conflict with Israel persists and seeks to participate in the Palestinian national political dialogue.

The partial reemergence of Hamas's security forces underscores the challenges facing the ceasefire deal. Some of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners oppose the agreement, advocating for Jewish resettlement in Gaza. The plan's future phases, which involve Hamas's disarmament and Gaza's demilitarization, remain contentious. Netanyahu has stated that Israel will resume military operations if these provisions are not implemented.

Currently, Israel maintains control over more than half of the Gaza Strip following its initial withdrawal on Friday. Further troop withdrawals are contingent upon Hamas's disarmament and the establishment of an international stabilization force, a process that could take months.

In a rare public gesture, Gaza's civilian leadership has expressed gratitude to U.S. President Donald Trump for facilitating the ceasefire. A group of local officials, led by Iyad Abu Ramadan, head of the Gaza Chamber of Commerce, sent a letter to Trump on Friday, thanking him for his leadership and inviting him to visit the Strip. The letter states: "We wish to express our sincere gratitude for your leadership and unwavering commitment to ending the war in Gaza... Your efforts have restored to us the most vital thing — hope." Signatories include Gaza City Mayor Yahya al-Sarraj and economist Soufian Odeh. The officials advocate for Gaza's reconstruction and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in line with UN resolutions.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities are preparing for the release of the remaining 48 hostages early next week. The ceasefire agreement stipulates that Hamas will release all remaining hostages, both living and deceased, by Monday in exchange for 250 Palestinian security prisoners and 1,700 Gazan detainees. Reports suggest that Hamas may release the hostages earlier than expected, possibly as soon as Sunday. A senior Israeli official noted, "It could happen any day now from this moment on," though no confirmation has been received regarding an earlier release.

Israel has demanded that all hostages be released simultaneously but is prepared for the possibility of a phased release. If Hamas fails to release all hostages by noon on Monday, Israel will consider it a violation of the ceasefire agreement and respond accordingly. Hamas has informed mediators that retrieving all hostage bodies may be challenging, as some fighters who knew their locations were killed during the conflict. The deal includes a multinational task force to assist in locating all hostage remains, acknowledging that the process may take time.

To coordinate the reception and care of returning hostages, Israeli government hostage pointman Gal Hirsch spoke with Julien Lerisson, head of the Red Cross in Israel, on Friday. The Israel Defense Forces have expanded their Re'im base facility to handle initial health checks and family reunions for the released hostages. Those requiring urgent medical care will be airlifted to hospitals such as Soroka in Beersheba. For slain hostages, military ceremonies will be held in Gaza before their bodies are identified by forensic experts.

International organizations continue to highlight Gaza's humanitarian crisis following the ceasefire announcement. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called for all food aid crossings into the enclave to be opened, warning that children are especially vulnerable after prolonged periods without proper nutrition. UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires stated, "We risk seeing a massive spike in child death, not only neonatal, but also infants, given their immune systems are more compromised than ever before." He emphasized that children's immunity is low because "they haven't been eating properly and recently at all for way too long."

Tragically, 12-year-old Palestinian girl Huda Abu Najah from Gaza died this week from starvation, her doctor confirmed. Her death followed months of unsuccessful lobbying by international organizations to secure her evacuation from the Gaza Strip. Dr. Ahmed Al-Farra, director of the pediatric department in Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, reported that Abu Najah died of a "simple infection" that her malnourished immune system could not combat.

Additionally, Gaza's Hamas-run civil defense agency reported that at least 55 bodies were recovered from the wreckage and brought to hospitals across the territory today, following Israel's declaration of a ceasefire and troop withdrawal. Mohammed al-Mughayyir, an official within the rescue force, did not provide further details about when or how the individuals were killed. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, stated that 33 of the bodies were brought to hospitals across Gaza City, which had been the scene of intense Israeli offensives prior to Friday's ceasefire. He noted that one of the deceased had been "targeted today by Israeli fire near the Baraka area in Sheikh Radwan, north of Gaza City."

As the ceasefire takes hold, the situation in Gaza remains complex, with ongoing humanitarian concerns and political challenges that will require sustained international attention and cooperation.