Hamas’ armed wing greets displaced Palestinians after ceasefire

The Hamas fighters stood on the Gaza boundary once considered crucial for keeping them at bay.

Eight heavily armed men, wearing seemingly spotless military uniforms and Hamas' distinctive green headbands, stood atop concrete blocks at the Netzarim corridor on Monday, welcoming the tens of thousands of Gazans returning to what remained of their homes in the north. With their AK-47s strapped to their vests and their faces covered, the fighters took selfies, shook hands and handed water to passers-by.

Witnessed and recorded by an NBC News crew in Gaza, the fighters' presence at a crossing deemed vital for keeping Hamas from going into the north of Gaza raises big questions about one of Israel’s stated objectives in launching the war: eliminate the militant group behind the worst terrorist attack in Israeli history.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to destroy Hamas after it killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostage in its surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attack. More recently he softened the objective, to destroy the militants’ grip on power.

“We set three war goals: The first war goal was to destroy Hamas’s military and governing capabilities,” he said on Sept. 4. “The second was to free our hostages. And the third was to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.”