Gaza After the War: Hamas, Society, and the Problem of What Comes Next

Summary:

Any serious assessment of Gaza’s future after the war must begin with an unflinching recognition of what Hamas has been in Gaza: not merely a militant faction, but a ruling system embedded in society. For nearly two decades Hamas served as Gaza’s only effective governing authority, enforcing order through fear, Islamist legitimacy, and a deep administrative network rooted in Muslim Brotherhood–style institutions. That long tenure produced a political reality in which Hamas became an “institute across Gaza,” shaping culture, education, and everyday life. Consequently, the question of Gaza “after Hamas” is not only military or political—it is also social and generational.