Secret Memo Reveals Hamas' Plan to Maintain Control of Gaza
KAN News reported on an internal Hamas document outlining strategies to retain de facto power under the new governing authority • The memo contradicts the ceasefire's requirement to exclude Hamas from administration • Hamas has denied plans to fully relinquish control.
A secret internal memo circulated among Hamas officials in Gaza has been revealed, outlining a strategy to maintain administrative control of the territory despite the ceasefire agreement's requirement that power be handed over to the National Civilian Administrative Governance (NCAG), Israeli broadcaster KAN News reported.
The document, described as internal and not intended for public view, provides a set of guidelines for Hamas-affiliated officials during the transition period before the NCAG fully assumes authority. It is unclear how KAN obtained the memo, though sources suggest it may have come from Israeli intelligence or intercepts.
According to the report, the memo instructs Hamas officials to continue operating "as if nothing had changed," effectively allowing the group to retain de facto control while the NCAG holds nominal authority. Officials are also advised to avoid any actions that could raise suspicion, including making no attacks on NCAG members.
The document also contains strict communication restrictions, stipulating that no personal contact or the passing of information should be made to the NCAG outside of designated channels.
The overall intent of the memo, as described in the reports, is to preserve Hamas' influence within Gaza's civil administration, directly contradicting the ceasefire's central goal of excluding the group from governance.
Israeli officials and media have seized on the leak as evidence that Hamas intends to formally cede power on paper while maintaining a firm grip on the ground. A senior Israeli security official noted that fully disarming Hamas would require a years-long campaign, and warned that the integration of Hamas personnel into new structures could undermine the NCAG from within.
Hamas has publicly denied any intention to fully disarm or relinquish security control. In interviews in October 2025, senior Hamas member Mohammed Nazal told Reuters that the group would retain security oversight, framing the ceasefire as a temporary truce intended to allow for rebuilding.
Palestinian factions, including Fatah, have welcomed the establishment of the NCAG, though proposals for joint Hamas-Fatah management arrangements continue to circulate.
Anti-Israel +972 Magazine claims that the Israeli government under Prime Minister Netanyahu that is working to undermine the NCAG, in order to justify ongoing Israeli control and make Gaza appear ungovernable.
International coverage of the leak has so far been limited. Outlets such as France24 and Reuters have highlighted Hamas' public rhetoric around cooperation while noting the ongoing tensions over the integration of armed Palestinian police, whom Israel regards as terrorists.