On the morning the Gaza cease-fire took effect, masked members of Hamas’ military wing drove through the streets of Gaza in clean, white pickup trucks, carrying Hamas flags and carrying automatic rifles.

The militants also carried an unequivocal message: However weakened, Hamas has survived Israel’s 15-month bombing campaign in Gaza and remains the most powerful Palestinian party in the territory.

Since the ceasefire began on Sunday, Hamas has been working overtime to try to show it still controls Gaza, even after Israel killed thousands of its members and destroyed its tunnels and weapons factories in retaliation for the cross October 7, 2023 – border attack in which around 1200 people were killed.

During the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to eliminate Hamas, but never offered a plan for a realistic alternative that would take control of Gazaleaving behind a vacuum filled by an armed group.

Even for many Gazans, however, the rapid reappearance of fighters, some in official uniforms, came as a surprise.

“They came out of hiding in the blink of an eye,” said Mohammed, 24, who asked not to be named to avoid possible retribution from Hamas. “We had no idea where these people were during the war.”

Later, on the first day of the ceasefire, dozens of Hamas militants appeared in Saraya Square in Gaza City to surrender three hostages Red Cross for release to Israel, the first of 33 to be released as part of the deal. The appearance of the militants did not suggest that they were on the run: they appeared to be wearing clean uniforms, in good shape and driving decent cars.

It is not clear how many fighters, policemen, bureaucrats and political leaders survived the war or where the militants were hiding. But by displaying the handover in such a public way, Hamas made it clear that it still stands in a part of Gaza that has seen some of the most devastating bombings of the war.

“We’re talking about an area that was essentially plowed over by the Israelis,” said Mkhaimar Abusada, a political science professor from Gaza City who is now a visiting scholar at Northwestern University.

Israeli officials have said they stand by their goal of dismantling Hamas’ military wing and government, suggesting they may resume the war once the remaining 30 hostages, of the roughly 100 still held in Gaza, are freed in the coming weeks.

Despite its show of force, Hamas likely hopes to relieve itself of the day-to-day burden of administering and rebuilding Gaza, but wants any future arrangement for the territory to remain the main security force and thus the main decision-maker, Ghaith al-Omari, an expert on Palestinian affairs, said. Hamas probably has to make some concessions to allow sufficient aid to enter Gaza for reconstruction.

Since the ceasefire, the Hamas government has tried to impose some sense of security, sending police forces into the streets, directing traffic, protecting aid trucks and offering some degree of law and order, residents say.

In Gaza City on Monday, a senior official of the Hamas-run Interior Ministry identified as General Mahmoud Abu Watfa toured the city center in civilian clothes as Gaza journalists photographed armed internal security forces participating in the procession.

“The picture is clear,” General Abu Watfa he told the reporter. “Those who control security, protect citizens and guard the home front are the forces of the Ministry of the Interior.”

Challenges are still evident. An official in Hamas’s internal security service, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters, noted that many security workers in Gaza City used paper records instead of computers, and some reported to work at the bombed headquarters on foot because Israel destroyed almost every police car in the city.

A bomb disposal unit in Gaza City, the official said, is struggling to defuse unexploded bombs.

“Hamas is much weaker than it was before October 7,” said Michael Milshtein, a former military intelligence analyst specializing in Palestinian affairs. “But it is absolutely clear that he can impose his sovereignty everywhere in Gaza.”

Gaza municipalities that work closely with the Hamas government have sent workers to clear the rubble, remove piles of trash and inspect damage to infrastructure. In Rafa, the municipal council convened a meeting in a tent equipped with the official city flag, a table and chairs, according to a post it shared on social media.

In an interview, Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, stated that Israel had failed to destroy Hamas. “They tried to eradicate these people and they failed,” he said. “They were steadfast on the earth for 470 days.”

Hamas, analysts say, has been trying to make clear with its recent moves that it must play an influential role in discussions about “the day after,” referring to the future administration of Gaza.

“Their message to everyone is, ‘You cannot exclude us from the day after,'” said Mr. al-Omari, an expert on Palestinian affairs.

leaders of Hamas they really expressed their willingness give up civilian administration in Gaza but without disbanding its military wing — a dynamic that would be similar to Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon before its latest conflict with Israel.

The United States has said a “revitalized” Palestinian Authority, which now has limited autonomy in governing the Israeli-occupied West Bank, should take over Gaza, but Mr. Netanyahu rejected the idea. The government ruled Gaza until 2007, when Hamas violently seized power in a coup after winning a majority in parliamentary elections.

On Sunday, Gideon Saar, Israel’s foreign minister, told reporters that Hamas rule was dangerous to Israel’s security and stressed that Israel had not agreed to a permanent cease-fire agreement that leaves Hamas in control of Gaza.

While some analysts say Israel could eventually remove Hamas from power, others say it would fight to continue the war in the face of international pressure. And even if it did, these analysts say, Israeli forces would face enormous challenges in driving Hamas out of Gaza without an outright occupation.

In Gaza, supporters of Hamas said they felt reassured by its show of force this week. But many people who were not loyal to the group worried that if it remained in power, they would be subjected to its harsh rule and that there would be another war sooner or later.

“Maybe it will take time for Hamas to get to the point where they will provoke Israel into another big war,” said Alaa, 28, who took refuge in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, and whose last name was withheld to avoid retaliation.

“As long as he is in power, it is only a matter of time,” he added. “It is difficult to come to any conclusion other than that there is no future here.”