Early on Wednesday, Mahmoud ventured out from the ruins of Nuseirat, a town in central Gaza, to a makeshift market that had sprang up during the war.
It was 6am and Hamas was already in charge, with masked men carrying guns keeping watch and traders instructed to keep the street clear for traffic.
By 8am, a bulldozer appeared and cleared some debris for a small convoy of SUVs, and by 8.30am men in the familiar Hamas security uniforms of cheap polyester jackets with fake fur lining were manning a checkpoint.
“On the ground, from A to Z, there is no doubt: Hamas is in charge,” said Mahmoud, who had driven north after the market and encountered four Hamas checkpoints, asked to show ID at every one. He declined to use his second name to speak freely about the group.
[ Q&A: What remains of Hamas after two years of war?Opens in new window ]
After two years of war with Israel, and barely four days into a US-brokered ceasefire, Hamas is seeking to broadcast a message across Gaza: Israel is retreating, and the enclave is back in the Palestinian militant group’s hands.
The fog of war has barely lifted, making it difficult to ascertain how much of Hamas’s rapid redep
Continue Reading on The Irish Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.