Some parts hand out candy, others stand guard. Since the ceasefire came into force, masked Hamas members have been seen on the streets of Gaza again, show images published in Hamas-linked media. Other video clips show alleged executions on the open street.
In the White House peace plan for Gaza, it is stated that "Hamas and other factions" should not have any role at all in the governance of Gaza. All offensive military infrastructure, including tunnels, will be destroyed and Gaza will be demilitarized.
Donald Trump emphasizes that Hamas must be disarmed - voluntarily or by force.
It will happen quickly and possibly with violence, but they will be disarmed, he says to reporters at the White House on Tuesday.
But so far, Hamas is very active in Gaza. According to Hamas-linked Telegram accounts, a few dozen "traitors and collaborators", a common euphemism for people belonging to rival Israel-backed militias, were killed over the weekend. Hamas members are also said to have been involved in bloody clashes with powerful Palestinian clans in several places.
Approved by Trump
In parallel, Hamas' police and interior department has announced that "security forces" have been deployed throughout the Gaza Strip, writes Israeli media. According to The Times of Israel, Hamas is trying to regain its grip on Gaza.
When US President Donald Trump was asked on Monday about Hamas' visible buildup, he said the movement had received temporary green light:
They want to solve the problems and they have been open about it, and we approved it for a period. Nearly two million people are returning to buildings that have been demolished and many bad things can happen. So we want it to be safe.
Among the militias trying to take Hamas' place are Israel-allied and allegedly IS-linked al-Quwwat ash-Shabiyya (Popular Forces), as well as several newly formed, heavily armed groups. One of them is led by Israel-backed Hussam al-Astal in Khan Yunis, who in September told The Guardian that "there is an alternative power to Hamas now".
Looted aid
Earlier this year, admitted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel has armed Gaza clans that oppose Hamas, without specifying which groups are involved.
Many of the militias have previously been accused of looting aid and extorting aid organizations and Gaza residents in exchange for "protection". The lawlessness is feared to hinder efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition during the ceasefire.
In the north, there is no one in charge, in the central area there are some really powerful families and some small informal militias... And in the south, there are formal Israeli contractors who receive weapons and so on from Israel's military, said an anonymous representative of one of the larger aid organizations to The Guardian in September.
Law and order are deteriorating and the social structure is falling apart.
The proposal that US President Donald Trump has put forward for peace in Gaza consists of 20 points.
They were worked out in consultation with several influential countries from the Arab and Muslim world. Trump then met with Israel's Prime Minister, who accepted the proposal, with some detailed changes.
The proposal stipulates, above all, an immediate end to the war, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, independent distribution of aid to Gaza's population, a gradual withdrawal of Israel's military, and the disarmament of Hamas.
After that, a technocratic transitional government will take over, with international forces on the ground and a governing council where Donald Trump is chairman. Gaza "will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors" and will be rebuilt "for the benefit of Gaza's population".
