[Opinion] Post-ceasefire, Hamas uses reconstruction to cling to power
[Excerpts]
As a fragile ceasefire takes hold in the Gaza Strip, Hamas is clinging to power and the hope of sustaining its dark vision for the territory. The terrorist group is trying to reorganize, biding its time until it is again able to threaten the lives of millions of Israelis.
One of Hamas’ latest maneuvers might be subtle, but it has underappreciated strategic importance. Under the guise of the Trump-brokered ceasefire, Hamas has reportedly authorized the appointment of Amjad Shawa — a veteran of Gaza’s nongovernmental organization establishment and, according to sources in Gaza, “pro-Hamas without being a Hamas man” — to head a “technocratic” committee to oversee the enclave’s rebuilding after two years of war.
This appointment risks condemning Gaza to another cycle of Hamas-driven violence and leaving the prospects of peace as remote as ever before.