Israeli security officials have expressed concern that Hamas is exploiting the governance vacuum in Gaza to regain control, particularly as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are focused on the northern front in Lebanon. Officials predict that the Israeli government will resist initiatives from the Palestinian technocratic government due to fears of Hamas re-establishing its influence over key areas. In a closed forum, a security official highlighted the strategic deadlock, stating that advancing under current conditions would only increase threats to Israel. The technocratic government is promoting a 'Rafah First' initiative, aimed at transforming Rafah into a demilitarized zone to facilitate resettlement of the population, contingent on thorough security vetting. Discussions on rehabilitating Gaza's infrastructure are ongoing, but progress is hindered by Hamas's resistance and the US's challenges in applying pressure on the group. The official noted that rehabilitation efforts might proceed without the necessary demilitarization, raising concerns about the effectiveness of such initiatives.