Hamas appears to be attempting to signal that Israel has failed to eliminate them from Gaza’s largest former population centers. Despite ongoing military operations in the southern portion of the Strip, uniformed and civilian “police” units and other civil servants have shown up in what’s left of Gaza City in recent days. A Hamas spokesperson claimed that partial salary payments were being made to workers, though it’s unclear what sort of operations they are supposedly conducting. Israel has already responded with renewed rocket strikes in Gaza City, but this remains a disturbing sign that Hamas may be more resilient than many had hoped. So is this a sign that Hamas continues to thrive despite the ongoing assault, or simply a public relations move intended to push Israel into some sort of compromise? (Associated Press)
Hamas has begun deploying police forces and making…
