who is hamas

Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist movement and political organization with an armed wing that has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007, and is designated as a terrorist organization by many countries, while also claiming to represent Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation.

Quick Scoop: Who Is Hamas?

• Hamas (short for “Islamic Resistance Movement”) is a Sunni Islamist Palestinian nationalist group founded in 1987 during the First Intifada as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.

• It combines a political organization that runs institutions and social services with a military wing (the Izz ad‑Din al‑Qassam Brigades) that carries out armed attacks.

• Hamas has ruled the Gaza Strip de facto since 2007, after winning Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 and then violently ousting its rival faction Fatah.

• Its ideology rejects Israel’s right to exist and seeks an Islamic state in historical Palestine; it has used tactics including rocket fire, suicide bombings, raids, and hostage‑taking.

• The United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, and others list Hamas as a terrorist organization, while some states in the region maintain ties and support.

Origins and Ideology

• Hamas emerged in Gaza in 1987 from the local branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, framing itself as an Islamic alternative to the more secular Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

• Its original 1988 charter was explicitly Islamist and antisemitic, calling for “jihad” to liberate all of historical Palestine and rejecting negotiated peace or recognition of Israel.

• In 2017, Hamas issued a political document that softened some language and distanced itself rhetorically from the Muslim Brotherhood, but it still refused to recognize Israel and upheld “resistance” including armed struggle.

Political Role and Governance in Gaza

• Hamas entered formal politics in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections and won a parliamentary majority, defeating the long‑dominant Fatah movement.

• A violent power struggle followed; by 2007 Hamas had taken control of Gaza, leaving the Palestinian Authority (dominated by Fatah) governing parts of the West Bank instead.

• In Gaza, Hamas functions as both a ruling authority and armed group, running ministries, police, courts, and extensive social‑welfare networks alongside its military wing.

• Its rule has coincided with repeated wars and escalations with Israel and with a blockade on Gaza that has contributed to severe humanitarian and economic crises.

Armed Activities and International Reactions

• Hamas’s armed wing has carried out suicide bombings, shootings, cross‑border raids, and large‑scale rocket attacks on Israeli cities and towns since the 1990s.

• On 7 October 2023, Hamas led a major assault on southern Israel involving rocket barrages and ground infiltrations, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages, which triggered a devastating war in Gaza.

• Multiple Western and regional governments condemn Hamas’s tactics as terrorism, while some regional actors (notably Iran) provide it with funding, weapons, and training as part of a broader axis opposed to Israel.

• International debate is intense: some see Hamas solely as a terrorist group, others as an armed resistance movement against occupation, and many critics argue it endangers civilians on both sides while entrenching conflict.

How Different Actors See Hamas (Multi‑View)

• Many Western governments, Israel, and several Arab states:
  • Define Hamas primarily as a terrorist group whose attacks deliberately target civilians and violate international law.

• Many Palestinians and supporters globally:
  • See Hamas as a resistance actor against occupation and blockade, while often criticizing its authoritarian rule and the cost of its military strategy.

• Human rights and humanitarian organizations:
  • Document abuses by Hamas (including rocket attacks and hostage‑taking) and by Israel’s military response, focusing on civilian harm and violations of humanitarian law.

Simple HTML Table Summary

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<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Aspect</th>
      <th>Key Facts about Hamas</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Founding</td>
      <td>Founded in 1987 in Gaza during the First Intifada as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.[web:3][web:5][web:8][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Ideology</td>
      <td>Sunni Islamist, Palestinian nationalist, rejects Israel’s right to exist, seeks an Islamic state in historical Palestine.[web:1][web:3][web:5][web:8]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Territory</td>
      <td>De facto ruler of the Gaza Strip since 2007 after defeating Fatah and taking control from the Palestinian Authority.[web:5][web:7][web:8][web:10]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Structure</td>
      <td>Political leadership plus a military wing (Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades) and extensive social services networks.[web:5][web:8][web:9][web:10]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Designation</td>
      <td>Classified as a terrorist organization by the US, EU, UK, Canada and others; supported by some regional states including Iran.[web:1][web:7][web:8][web:9][web:10]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Key Events</td>
      <td>Suicide bombings in the 1990s–2000s; repeated Gaza wars; major October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel and ensuing large-scale war.[web:1][web:7][web:8][web:9][web:10]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Current Context</td>
      <td>Central actor in the Gaza conflict, subject of ceasefire talks, prisoner/hostage exchanges, and wider regional and international diplomacy.[web:7][web:8][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

TL;DR: Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist movement and ruling authority in Gaza with a long record of armed attacks on Israel, widely designated as a terrorist organization yet also seen by some as a resistance group, and it remains at the heart of one of the world’s most contentious and violent conflicts.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.