Hamas dissolved its government in Gaza to remove Israel’s pretexts for delaying reconstruction and withdrawal. But Israel is now doubling down on a demand for full disarmament as a precondition, a condition designed to be impossible to meet.

Growing reports show that Israel has been fomenting armed gangs to loot food supplies in Gaza and sow chaos — and it’s killing those who attempt to stop it. But this strategy isn’t new: Israel has waged a war on Gaza’s civil government from the start.