Many Palestinians in Gaza want the militant group to leave power, but still welcome its crackdown on crime

By Sudarsan Raghavan and Suha Ma’ayeh
Nov. 16, 2025 1100pm ET

Hamas’s popularity has edged up among Palestinians in Gaza since the cease-fire, ending a slide during the war and posing a challenge to President Trump’s plan to bring peace to the enclave by disarming the militant group.

A major reason is security. Last month, as a cease-fire took root and Israeli forces pulled back, Hamas fighters re-emerged on the streets as police and internal-security forces, patrolling and targeting criminals along with rivals and critics. While many Gazans have a dim view of the U.S.-designated terrorist group and don’t like seeing the group reassert itself, Palestinians have welcomed a reduction in crime and looting.

“Even those who oppose Hamas, the idea of security is something people want,” said Hazem Srour, 22, a businessman in Gaza City. “It’s because we had a security breakdown with thefts, thuggery and lawlessness.”