After more than a year hiding in tunnels and dodging air strikes, uniformed Hamas fighters returned to the ruined streets of Gaza hours into a ceasefire, defying Israel's vow to crush them. - 'Game of whack-a-mole' - The ceasefire is in its infancy and many questions remain about the future of the Gaza Strip and Hamas.

Hamas is a Palestinian armed group and political movement in the Gaza Strip. On 7 October 2023 it attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. This triggered a massive Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.

Hamas remained in power through four previous wars with Israel. With help from Iran it steadily enhanced its capabilities, extended the range of its rockets and built deeper and longer tunnels to hide from Israeli airstrikes. By Oct. 7, 2023, it had an army of tens of thousands in organized battalions.

Israel and Hamas have signed a ceasefire agreement to end the war and return the hostages kidnapped by the terror group during the Oct 7 attacks.

The general cited the security and intelligence failures related to Hamas' surprise attack that triggered the war in the Gaza strip.