HAMAS
Hamas
Overview
Hamas, an acronym of its official name, Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Arabic: حركة المقاومة الإسلامية, romanized: Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamah al-ʾIslāmiyyah, lit. 'Islamic Resistance Movement'), is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist political and military movement governing the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip since 2007[^1^][1][^2^][2][^3^][3][^4^][4].
Key Concepts
- Definition: Hamas is an Islamist militant movement and one of the Palestinian territories’ two major political parties[^2^][2]. It governs more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, but the group is best known for its armed resistance to Israel[^2^][2].
- Historical Context: Hamas was founded by Palestinian imam and activist Ahmed Yassin in 1987, after the outbreak of the First Intifada against the Israeli occupation[^1^][1]. It emerged from his 1973 Mujama al-Islamiya Islamic charity affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood[^1^][1].
- Modern Perspective: In October 7th attacks , Hamas launched a massive surprise attack on southern Israel, killing hundreds of civilians and soldiers and taking dozens more as hostages[^2^][2]. Israel has declared war on the group in response and indicated its military is planning for a long campaign to defeat it[^2^][2].
- Criticism: Dozens of countries have designated Hamas a terrorist organization, though some apply this label only to its military wing[^2^][2]. Its rival party, Fatah, which dominates the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and rules in the West Bank, has renounced violence[^2^][2].