Analysis
From war to governance: Hamas challenged by security vacuum in Gaza
The Hamas government struggles to maintain its authority over Gaza amid death, destruction, severe food shortages and decimated administrative and security forces.
One late November night in Khan Younis, armed men ambushed Muhammad Rujila, a well-known social activist and content creator, stealing his car, two mobile phones and some cash and leaving him stranded and shaken.
Rujila promptly reported the incident to the police, but, he told Al-Monitor in a phone interview, their investigation fell far short of their prewar efficiency.
“If this had happened before the war, the police would have caught the criminals within 24 hours,” he said, before correcting himself. “No, actually, such an incident wouldn’t have even happened back then.”
After more than a year of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, with widespread destruction and severe food shortages, Muhammad sees the rise in crime as inevitable.
