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Israeli Security Sources: The Inclusion of Turkey and Qatar in Gaza's Governance Instills Hope in Hamas
(Times of Israel) Israel's defense establishment believes that Hamas is increasingly motivated to rebuild and recover, encouraged in part by President Trump's plan for Gaza, Hebrew media reported Sunday. The assessment, reportedly delivered in closed-door briefings to Israel's political echelon, came after the U.S. announced the start of phase two of the Trump plan for ending the Gaza war. Security sources said Hamas is hoping to model Gaza after Lebanon, where Hizbullah wields significant power. A November 2024 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon mandated that Hizbullah be disarmed, but the group insists it will not do so. Hamas, like Hizbullah, is expected to stall for time and delay giving up its weapons. According to officials quoted by Israel's Channel 12, Hamas "will do everything it can to drag out the process and exhaust all parties, while reconstruction on the ground begins in practice." Hamas's thinking has been shaped in no small part by Washington's decision to include both Turkey and Qatar in the post-war management of Gaza, the security sources said. "The inclusion of Turkey and Qatar in the Executive Board instills in [Hamas] long-term hope and short-term courage." Their inclusion on the Executive Board could eventually "undermine the IDF's achievements in the war," the security sources warned.