Hamas

Hamas
source
Name	Hamas
Native name	حركة المقاومة الإسلامية
Founded	10 December 1987
Founder	Ahmed Yassin, Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, Mahmoud Zahar, Ibrahim al-Yazouri
Founding location	Gaza Strip
Type	Sunni Islamist organization
Status	Active
Focus	Palestinian nationalism, Islamism
Headquarters	Gaza City
Area served	Palestinian territories
Key people	Ismail Haniyeh (Political Bureau Chief), Yahya Sinwar (Leader in Gaza), Khaled Mashal (Former leader)

Hamas, an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya, is a Sunni Islamist political and military organization founded in 1987 during the First Intifada. It emerged from the Muslim Brotherhood network in the Palestinian territories, primarily the Gaza Strip, and has since become a major force in Palestinian politics. The group's founding charter calls for the establishment of an Islamic state in historic Palestine, rejecting the existence of Israel and advocating for armed resistance, or jihad. Its victory in the 2006 Palestinian legislative election led to a violent split with the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority, resulting in its de facto governance of the Gaza Strip since 2007.

History

The organization was established in December 1987 by Ahmed Yassin, a charismatic Gaza City cleric, along with other figures like Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi and Mahmoud Zahar, as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Its formation was a direct response to the outbreak of the First Intifada, seeking to channel popular Palestinian frustration into an Islamist resistance framework. Throughout the 1990s, it opposed the Oslo Accords and engaged in a campaign of suicide bombings against Israel, leading to its designation as a terrorist organization by several nations. Following the death of Yassin in a 2004 Israeli Air Force strike, leadership passed to figures like Khaled Mashal and Ismail Haniyeh. Its decisive win in the 2006 elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council precipitated a conflict with Fatah, culminating in the 2007 Battle of Gaza and its subsequent control over the coastal enclave.

Ideology and objectives

The group's ideology is rooted in a blend of Palestinian nationalism and Islamism, as originally outlined in its 1988 charter. This document explicitly rejects any political compromise with Israel, frames the conflict as a religious struggle, and calls for the liberation of all Mandatory Palestine through jihad. While the charter contains antisemitic tropes, senior leaders have at times suggested a potential long-term truce, or hudna, based on the 1967 borders. The group's objectives are fundamentally opposed to the Two-state solution as endorsed by the United Nations, the Arab League, and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Its vision is for a sovereign Islamic state governed by Sharia, though its political documents since 2017 have emphasized Palestinian nationalist rights over pan-Islamist goals.

Organizational structure

The organization maintains a complex structure divided into political, military, and social service wings, operating both openly and clandestinely. Overall leadership is vested in a Political Bureau, historically based in Damascus and later Doha, led by figures such as Ismail Haniyeh and formerly Khaled Mashal. Its military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, operates independently under commanders like Mohammed Deif and is responsible for planning attacks. Within the Gaza Strip, a local administrative council, led by Yahya Sinwar, manages daily governance and its extensive network of Dawah social institutions, including schools, hospitals, and charities, which bolster its popular support.

Military activities

The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades have conducted extensive military and terrorist operations since the early 1990s, including suicide bombings, rocket attacks, and tunnel warfare. Major escalations include the Second Intifada, during which it carried out attacks like the Park Hotel massacre in Netanya, and several wars with Israel, such as Operation Cast Lead, Operation Pillar of Defense, and Operation Protective Edge. Its tactics have involved firing thousands of rockets, like the locally-made Qassam rocket, into Israeli cities including Ashkelon and Tel Aviv, and using cross-border attack tunnels. The most significant assault was the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which triggered the ongoing war.

Political activities and governance

Following its 2006 electoral victory, the group formed a government briefly led by Ismail Haniyeh before the schism with Fatah. Since 2007, it has exercised de facto authority over the Gaza Strip, establishing a parallel administration to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. Its governance involves managing civil affairs, security via its Executive Force, and a judiciary based on Sharia law. It has repeatedly failed to achieve reconciliation with Fatah through talks mediated by Egypt and Qatar, with disputes over security control and disarmament of its brigades being central obstacles. The group also competes politically with more secular factions like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

International relations and legal status

The organization's international relations are sharply divided; it is designated as a terrorist entity by Israel, the United States, the European Union, Canada, and Japan, among others. It receives political, financial, and material support from Iran and maintains offices in regional allies like Qatar and Turkey. Conversely, some nations, including Russia and China, engage with its political leaders, and it is viewed by organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as a governing authority in Gaza. Its legal status is contested at bodies like the International Criminal Court, where it faces potential investigation for war crimes alongside Israel.

Category:Islamist organizations Category:Military wings of political parties Category:Palestinian nationalism