Hamas talks a big game but is in chaos
Look beyond the latest bravado and brutality and it is bitterly split
EVEN before the fighting stopped, Hamas was keen to show it had survived. Uniformed militants emerged from hiding hours after the Islamist group agreed to a ceasefire with Israel. Once the truce began, Hamas was quick to deploy police on the streets and gunmen to guard aid convoys. The release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, in exchange for Israeli hostages, has been a fillip for its popularity.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Master of none”
Middle East & Africa February 1st 2025
From the February 1st 2025 edition
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