Gaza residents remain uncertain about their future as Hamas fighters reappear

After President Donald Trump told the Israeli Knesset that “the war is over” and celebrated the return of the hostages still alive, Hamas terrorists across the Gaza border reportedly killed their opponents in the main square of Gaza City – in full view of the public.

Videos circulating on social media appear to show the executions, which an Israeli military official told Fox News Digital are “a deliberate attempt by Hamas to publicly show the killings and reestablish its power by terrorizing civilians.”

Videos circulating on social media appear to show the executions, which an Israeli military official told Fox News Digital was “a deliberate attempt by Hamas to publicly show the killings and reestablish its power by terrorizing civilians.”

In conversations with Fox News Digital, Gazans described Hamas fighters reappearing on the streets and regaining control — but some said it could also be their first real chance for change and ridding themselves of the terrorist regime.

Mukhaimar Abu Saada, a Gaza political analyst, told Fox News Digital that disarming Hamas would not be easy, as clashes between the group and local militias have already broken out. “It’s not going to happen quickly,” he said. “We are talking about an ideological organization. Just last night, people were killed in clashes between Hamas and local militias. This is not a rosy road.”

TRUMP’S GAZA PEACE PLAN COULD BE JUST A “BREAK” BEFORE ANOTHER HAMAS STRIKE, EXPERTS WARN

President Donald Trump addresses the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, October 13, 2025 in Jerusalem. President Trump is visiting the country hours after Hamas released the last captured Israeli hostages on October 7, 2023, as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein – Piscine/Getty Images)

Abu Saada said Hamas had issued an ultimatum giving Israel’s collaborators until October 19 to surrender and seek amnesty from Hamas, provided they were not involved in killings.

“They are still strong,” he admitted. “Part of the reason they haven’t fought harder in recent days is because they saved a few men and weapons for the next day. I still see Hamas police on the streets of Gaza. Trump said they lost thousands, but they are still there, able to control the streets once Israel redeploys.

A man in Gaza who asked to remain anonymous told Fox News Digital that, despite official statements, “you can’t say the war is over,” he said. “We have to wait a few weeks to see what happens. There are gangs in Gaza now; Hamas is trying to fight them. If they don’t unite, another war could start.”

He described Hamas as weakened and divided. “Hamas is no longer strong like before. Those who remain are mostly police officers, not the real Hamas members who believe in their extremist jihadist ideology,” he said. “We need to watch what happens next and see if they rebuild.”

According to him, the survival of the group depends on whether it accepts the agreement or not. He called the situation “very strange,” noting that Hamas had agreed to release all the hostages while Israel still holds parts of Gaza. “It’s not a real deal yet. We need someone from Hamas to explain what they agreed to, because we need to think about our future.”

A group of Hamas terrorists in Deir-el Balah, central Gaza, as 20 live Israeli hostages were released on October 13, 2025. (Photos by TPS-IL)

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Another man from Gaza City expressed the same uncertainty. “No one knows what is happening: who will govern, what will happen with Hamas and whether the war is really over,” he said. “We hope for a better future. I just want my family and I to live without targeting, without bloodshed.”

Ordinary Gaza residents, he added, are exhausted but long for calm. “People just want the bloodshed to stop. They want to stop losing their loved ones and their friends… It’s in their hands now – whether they allow Hamas to continue or finally rise up. But nothing is clear.”

Abu Saada said there was “no doubt that Hamas will have to disarm one way or another,” describing this as an inevitable part of the plan announced by President Trump and approved by Israeli leaders.

“The real question is who will hold these weapons: the Palestinian Authority or the so-called ‘security stabilization force’ that is supposed to deploy next. This will certainly happen, but we must wait for the second phase of negotiations.”

A Gazan family walks near rubble of buildings during the Eid al-Adha holiday in Gaza City, June 6, 2025. (Mahmoud Issa/Reuters)

Abu Saada said even Qatari mediators confirmed that disarmament “has not yet been discussed but will be in the coming days.” For now, he added, Gaza residents are focused on survival after “two years of misery, destruction and bloodshed.”

Ultimately, he added, Hamas will have to comply. “No Arab country will give a single dollar if Hamas does not disarm. The reconstruction of Gaza depends on Hamas losing control. The war is over, but the real test has only just begun.”

As voices inside Gaza reflect uncertainty, experts in Washington say Hamas’s political and military isolation has never been greater.

ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASEFIRE TAKES EFFECT, IDF BEGINS WITHDRAWAL TO GAZA

Jacob Olidort, director of the Center for American Security at the America First Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital that Hamas is “in the most militarily and diplomatically isolated place it has ever been.”

“Even before and after the release of the hostages, Hamas adopted a provocative tone,” Olidort said. “But all this will be overshadowed by the vast expansion of peace agreements between Israel and its neighbors. All of Israel’s regional partners are eager to normalize and continue where they left off before October 7.”

A group of Hamas gunmen in Deir-el Balah, central Gaza, as 20 live Israeli hostages were released on October 13, 2025. (Photos by TPS-IL)

Olidort said the Sharm el-Sheikh summit would mark the start of phase two of Trump’s plan: “Whatever is happening on the ground now does not reflect the future of Gaza,” he said. “None of the steps in the peace plan have yet been implemented. What happens next will be defined by this summit and the regional consensus that Hamas cannot continue to control Gaza.”

For Israel, he added, “the focus will be on reviving, in a more public way, its regional and global partnerships – defense, commercial and diplomatic.” This is where the future of Israel lies.”

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While the guns have fallen silent, the next step – the disarmament of Hamas and the arrival of a stabilization force – will determine whether Gaza finally begins to rebuild or falls back into chaos. As Abu Saada said: “The war is over, but the question is whether peace will really begin.”