IDF Warns Hamas Rebuilding Control in Gaza Under Technocratic Cover

The IDF has submitted a formal warning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioning that Hamas is actively rebuilding its governing and operational control in the Gaza Strip, even as international efforts advance a technocratic model to administer the territory.

According to the military assessment, the trend has become evident roughly three months after the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, raising concerns that diplomatic frameworks are failing to curb Hamas’s influence on the ground. The document, delivered to the prime minister through his military secretary, challenges assumptions that a technocratic administration could neutralize Hamas without first dismantling its military and governing structures.

In the assessment, the IDF writes: “Approximately three months after the Gaza ceasefire agreement, it is evident that despite the difficulties, Hamas continues to deepen its governance while looking ahead to the next phase of the agreement. An increase can be observed across all indicators of Hamas governance.” The document adds a stark warning: “In the absence of Hamas’s disarmament, and under the cover of the technocratic committee, Hamas will, in our assessment, succeed in preserving influence and control over the Gaza Strip.”

The warning comes as Israeli forces report concrete evidence on the ground reinforcing that assessment. During recent operations in southern Gaza, fighters from Brigade 7 uncovered a large weapons cache east of the “Yellow Line” ceasefire demarcation. According to the IDF Spokesperson, the forces discovered approximately 110 mortar shells, along with several rockets and additional combat equipment.

What stood out, the army said, was the method of concealment. The weapons were wrapped and hidden inside blankets and sacks marked with the insignia of UNRWA, the United Nations agency responsible for Palestinian refugee assistance. The IDF said the discovery underscores what it describes as the systematic use of humanitarian infrastructure and symbols by Hamas terrorists to store and protect weapons intended for attacks on Israeli forces and civilians.

At the same time, Israeli media have revealed internal Hamas planning that appears to mirror the IDF’s strategic concerns. Kan News reported that it obtained a confidential Hamas document circulated among officials linked to the organization ahead of the arrival of a technocratic government in Gaza. The document lays out detailed instructions designed to ensure Hamas retains effective control while remaining largely invisible to the new administrative framework.

According to the document, Hamas officials were instructed that “No personal contact is to be established with them, and no information or reports are to be transferred, except through the relevant authority.” Another directive orders officials to continue operating as usual: “The document also says officials should continue their regular routine as if nothing had changed, and they are forbidden from attacking the technocratic government and its head on social media.”

Taken together, Israeli officials view the findings as interconnected. The military assessment, the discovery of weapons concealed in humanitarian aid, and the internal Hamas directives are seen as parallel elements of a broader strategy aimed at preserving Hamas’s dominance in Gaza while adapting to new political and diplomatic constraints.

The IDF’s warning to the prime minister reflects a central concern within Israel’s security establishment, that without a clear mechanism to disarm Hamas, changes in administrative structures alone will not change the balance of power in the Gaza Strip.