Overview
- Hamas now retains formal control over only about 20 percent of Gaza after Israeli operations reclaimed roughly 80 percent of territory
- Israeli strikes since March have killed an estimated 95 percent of Hamas’s senior leaders and shattered its security and command infrastructure
- At least six local armed factions led by figures such as Yasser Abu Shabab’s Tarabin clan have filled the power vacuum across Gaza
- Despite severe battlefield losses and depleted rocket arsenals, Hamas remains the primary negotiator in US-, Qatar- and Egypt-brokered truce talks
- Disagreements between Israel and the United States over post-truce security and governance arrangements are complicating efforts to finalize a ceasefire