Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement)

Hamas is the problem the plan tries to solve without naming a single clean solution. - Central obstacle: refuses disarmament absent a Palestinian state pathway (reported)

A Gaza force is being designed like it's real—but the December 16 Doha conference exposed how unreal it remains. U.S. Central Command convened more than 40 countries to game out command structure, basing, and rules of engagement for a proposed U.N.-authorized International Stabilization Force, but attendees failed to agree on the force's mandate or composition. Italy is the only country to have formally committed troops. Fifteen invited nations declined to attend, and Turkey was excluded at Israel's insistence—a sign that coalition-building is entangled with regional politics before a single soldier deploys.

Updated Feb 16

Palestinian Islamist organization that governed Gaza from 2007 until the 2025 ceasefire agreement required it to hand administration to technocrats. - Lost formal Gaza governance; retains de facto security control

Israel recovered the remains of Ran Gvili on January 26, 2026, ending the 843-day hostage crisis that began with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. Prime Minister Netanyahu declared in the Knesset on January 27 that 'There are no more hostages in Gaza.' The Hostages and Missing Families Forum halted activities after this closure.

Updated Feb 5

Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist movement that governed Gaza from 2007 until the war, with both a political bureau and an armed wing. It launched the October 7, 2023 attacks and is now being asked to cede control of Gaza and ultimately disarm under the Trump ceasefire plan. - Announced it will dissolve Gaza government when Palestinian technocratic body takes over, but refuses full disarmament and continues rebuilding military capabilities during ceasefire

After more than two years of devastating war triggered by Hamas's attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that began on October 10, 2025 has paused large-scale hostilities in Gaza but remains deeply fragile, with at least 460 Palestinians killed and over 1,200 injured since the truce took effect. On January 14, 2026, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff announced the launch of phase two of the President's 20‑point peace plan, establishing a 15‑member Palestinian technocratic committee led by Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority deputy minister, to assume day-to-day governance of Gaza. Nickolay Mladenov, former UN Middle East envoy, was appointed director-general of the Board of Peace, the international transitional authority mandated by the UN Security Council to oversee Gaza's demilitarization, reconstruction and political transition. On January 21, the Board announced a concrete 3-5 month timeline for disarmament, with Hamas expected to receive an ultimatum demanding surrender of all weapons. Hamas announced on January 12 that it will dissolve its government once the new Palestinian body takes over, calling the decision 'clear and final,' but has refused to surrender its small arms, stating it will only fully disarm once a Palestinian state is established.

Updated Jan 26

Palestinian Islamist movement that governed Gaza from 2007 until the current transition, now agreeing to hand over civil administration while refusing full disarmament. - Refusing disarmament while ceding civil administration; no agreement on terms

Hamas has governed Gaza since June 2007. On January 15, 2026, a 15-member committee of Palestinian technocrats—none affiliated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority—held its first meeting in Cairo. The next day, President Trump announced the Board of Peace's executive membership: himself as chair, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and others. By January 17, the arrangement had triggered a rare public dispute with Israel—Netanyahu's office declared the Board's composition "was not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy."

Updated Jan 18

Hamas is balancing ceasefire diplomacy with the risk that restraint looks like weakness after assassinations. - Gaza power center trying to preserve armed capacity while extracting ceasefire concessions

A senior Hamas commander is killed in a targeted Israeli strike. The next day, thousands pack the streets of Gaza for his funeral, coffins hoisted shoulder-high, flags everywhere, chants loud enough to carry the message: Hamas is still here.

Updated Dec 14, 2025