Operatives belonging to Hamas’s inner safety equipment tasked with sustaining order throughout the Strip have made their first public look simply hours after a ceasefire in Gaza got here into impact, footage launched by Hamas-affiliated media on Friday confirmed.
The footage solely confirmed a handful of gunmen, and it’s unclear whether or not there are even any further ones past these photographed.
However the deployment and its publication appeared aimed toward demonstrating that Hamas stays essentially the most dominant power in Gaza, even when severely battered after two years of struggle.
It gave the impression to be the primary look of inner safety officers because the earlier ceasefire deal was reached in January.
Whereas Hamas has agreed to launch the remaining 48 hostages early subsequent week, it has pushed again on subsequent components of the US plan for ending the struggle, which have been delay for subsequent negotiations after the hostage-prisoner swap is accomplished.
These embrace its disarmament and its exclusion from any position within the post-war administration of Gaza. Hamas has insisted on holding not less than a few of its weapons, as long as the broader battle with Israel is ongoing.
כלי תקשורת המזוהים עם חמאס מפרסמים תיעוד של פעילים במנגנוני הביטחון שהחלו להתפרס ברצועה לטענתם. כרגע לא נראה תיעוד נרחב. וגם טרם נראו הטנדרים עם פעילי הזרוע הצבאית שנראו בהפסקת האש הקודמת. pic.twitter.com/1TJbdMZysj
— Nurit Yohanan (@nurityohanan) October 10, 2025
Whereas it has agreed to cede management over the governance of Gaza to an impartial committee of Palestinian technocrats, it insists on remaining a part of the Palestinian nationwide political dialogue.
The remnants of Hamas’s army power on show Friday spotlight why a few of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition companions oppose the deal inked on Thursday to finish the struggle in Gaza.
But-to-be-agreed-upon components of the plan do envision the decommissioning of Hamas’s weapons and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, and Netanyahu has asserted that Israel will resume preventing if these components aren’t applied.
Within the meantime, Israel has managed to stay answerable for over 50% of the Gaza Strip even after its preliminary pull-back earlier Friday. The IDF will stay in these positions even after the entire hostages are launched subsequent week, whereas additional withdrawals will probably be tied to Hamas’s disarmament and the institution of a global stabilization power, which may take months to arrange.
Native Gaza officers thank Trump, invite him to Strip
The renewed visibility of Hamas’ safety forces got here amid a uncommon public present of gratitude from Gaza’s civilian management.
A gaggle of native officers led by Iyad Abu Ramadan, head of the Gaza Chamber of Commerce, despatched a letter on Friday to US President Trump, thanking him for bringing in regards to the finish of the struggle in Gaza and alluring him to go to the Strip.
The letter, which was obtained by The Occasions of Israel, states: “We want to categorical our honest gratitude on your management and unwavering dedication to ending the struggle in Gaza… Your efforts have restored to us essentially the most important factor — hope.”
“We want to categorical our honest gratitude on your management and unwavering dedication to ending the struggle in Gaza… Your efforts have restored to us essentially the most important factor — hope,” the letter stated.
Amongst those that signed on to the letter had been Yahya al-Sarraj, the mayor of Gaza Metropolis; economist Soufian Odeh; and different enterprise and tutorial figures.
The officers name not just for the reconstruction of the Strip, but additionally for the institution of an impartial Palestinian state in keeping with UN resolutions.
Within the letter, the officers invite Trump to go to the Gaza Strip, writing: “We might be deeply honored to welcome you to Gaza to witness firsthand the resilience of our individuals and the renewal your management has helped make attainable.”
Israel readies for hostage launch
In the meantime, in Israel, authorities had been getting ready for the discharge of the remaining 48 hostages early subsequent week.
Beneath the ceasefire settlement, Hamas will launch all remaining hostages, dwelling or useless, by Monday in trade for 250 Palestinian security prisoners and 1,700 Gazan detainees.
Israel at the moment believes that Hamas could launch all remaining hostages sooner than beforehand anticipated, in response to reviews in Hebrew media, with some saying the discharge may happen on Sunday, relatively than Monday.
US President Donald Trump first advised hostage households that the entire captives will probably be launched on Monday, however he later advised reporters it may not occur till Tuesday.
“It may occur any day now from this second on,” a senior Israeli official stated. The official famous, nevertheless, that there was no affirmation that Hamas will launch hostages earlier than Monday.
A room on the IDF’s Re’im base, which has been ready for the return of the hostages held by Hamas, in a handout picture issued on October 10, 2025. (Israel Protection Forces)
Israel has demanded that each one hostages be launched in a single section. Nonetheless, it’s ready for the chance that the discharge may happen in a number of phases.
Nevertheless, if Hamas doesn’t launch all of the hostages by midday on Monday, Israel will take into account it a violation of the ceasefire settlement and reply in variety.
Hamas has advised mediators that it could not be capable of retrieve the entire our bodies of hostages, as among the fighters who knew the place they had been buried had been killed within the struggle.
The deal inked Thursday establishes a multinational process power aimed toward serving to find the entire hostages’ stays, and the textual content seems to acknowledge that the method may take time, but it surely’s unclear how Israel will react if among the our bodies are usually not returned by Monday and whether or not the mediators will maintain Jerusalem accountable for implementing subsequent phases of the deal if that’s the case.
In response to the Prime Minister’s Workplace, authorities hostage pointman Gal Hirsch spoke with the pinnacle of the Pink Cross in Israel, Julien Lerisson, on Friday to coordinate reception and look after the returning hostages.
Moreover, the IDF expanded its Re’im base facility to deal with preliminary bodily and psychological well being checks and household reunions for the launched hostages. These needing pressing medical care will probably be airlifted on to hospitals corresponding to Soroka in Beersheba.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hostage level man Gal Hirsch attends a gathering of the Knesset Nationwide Safety Committee, September 28, 2025. (Noam Moskowitz, Workplace of the Knesset Spokesperson)
In the meantime, the our bodies of slain hostages are anticipated to be obtained by troops in Gaza, the place a small ceremony, led by a army rabbi, will probably be held of their honor. They are going to then be taken to be recognized by forensic specialists.
Though earlier hostage-release offers adopted comparable procedures, subsequent week’s trade is the most important thus far, demanding extra in depth planning.
Humanitarian businesses warn about post-ceasefire complacency
Following the ceasefire announcement, worldwide organizations have continued to spotlight Gaza’s humanitarian disaster.
The United Nations Youngsters’s Fund (UNICEF) referred to as for all meals support crossings within the enclave to be opened, warning that youngsters are particularly weak after lengthy intervals with out correct diet.
“We threat seeing a large spike in little one demise, not solely neonatal, but additionally infants, given their immune programs are extra compromised than ever earlier than,” stated UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires.
Folks stroll with luggage of humanitarian support they obtained at a distribution middle run by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Basis (GHF), as they cross the Netzarim hall within the central Gaza Strip, on August 22, 2025. (Eyad BABA / AFP)
Youngsters’s immunity is low as a result of “they haven’t been consuming correctly and lately in any respect for manner too lengthy”, he stated.
The United Nations plans to ramp up its supply of humanitarian support to Gaza, the place some areas are experiencing famine, within the first 60 days of a ceasefire within the enclave, a high UN official stated on Thursday.
“Beneath the ceasefire association, we could have greater than 145 group distribution factors, along with as much as 30 bakeries and all of our diet websites,” Ross Smith, WFP Director of Emergencies, advised Reuters on Friday.
In response to a Hamas supply who spoke to AFP, a day by day minimal of 400 vans of support will enter the Gaza Strip for the primary 5 days of the ceasefire, to be elevated within the following days.
All through the battle, Israel has confronted worldwide scrutiny over allegations that its blockade and army operations in Gaza had been inflicting mass hunger. Israeli officers have constantly rejected these claims, describing them as “fashionable blood libel” and “lies,” whereas emphasizing that “Israel doesn’t have a coverage of hunger.”
