Hamas regroups in northern Gaza to prepare new offensive

Source: The Guardian

Hamas regroups in northern Gaza to prepare new offensive

Militant Palestinian group begins to rebuild system of governance in north after being driven out by Israeli forces

Jason Burke in Jerusalem
Tue 30 Jan 2024 05.00 GMT
Last modified on Tue 30 Jan 2024 05.03 GMT

Hamas militants have returned to northern Gaza, where they are mobilising against Israeli forces and rebuilding a system of governance, aid officials, Gaza residents, analysts and Israeli officials say.

Elsewhere in Gaza, Hamas administrators and police maintain firm control of the south, where much of the population is concentrated, though civil order is breaking down in central regions.

The apparent resurgence of Hamas in areas seized and cleared by Israeli troops during the nearly four-month offensive underlines the difficulties Benjamin Netanyahu faces in meeting his pledge to “crush” the militant group.

Eyal Hulata, who until January 2023 was the head of Israel’s national security council, said: “We are hearing more, unfortunately, of the recovery of [an] insurgency in both central and northern Gaza … We’re hearing more and more that Hamas are doing policing in northern Gaza and governing trade, and that is a very bad outcome.”

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/30/hamas-returns-northern-gaza-new-offensive

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From January 18: Hamas Begins Rehabilitating Militant Units in Northern Gaza the Israeli Army Declared Dismantled (Haaretz)