The Palestinian organization known as Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, has initiated an unexpected assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip, marking one of the most significant escalations in the Israel-Palestinian conflict in recent years.
Hamas, officially recognized as the Islamic Resistance Movement, was established in 1987 during the initial Palestinian Intifada, also referred to as the uprising. This group enjoys backing from Shiite Iran and aligns with the Islamic ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, a movement established in Egypt during the 1920s.
Since its inception, Hamas has engaged in multiple rounds of conflict with Israel, often characterized by rocket attacks launched by Hamas from Gaza into Israeli territory, met with Israeli airstrikes and bombardments of Gaza. Importantly, Hamas steadfastly refused to acknowledge the state of Israel and vehemently opposed the Oslo peace agreements that were brokered by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the mid-1990s.
Hamas maintains an armed faction known as the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, which has dispatched armed individuals and suicide bombers into Israel. Hamas justifies its armed actions as a form of resistance against the Israeli occupation.
Since 2007, Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip, a position it acquired after a brief internal conflict with the Fatah movement, led by President Mahmoud Abbas. President Abbas is situated in the West Bank and concurrently serves as the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Hamas's ascent to power in Gaza followed its victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006, the last such elections to be held. Hamas accused Abbas of plotting against it, while Abbas characterized the situation as a coup.
The organization's founding charter from 1988 explicitly called for the destruction of Israel. Despite this, Hamas leaders have occasionally proposed a long-term truce, known as a "Hudna" in Arabic, in exchange for the establishment of a viable Palestinian state encompassing all the territory occupied by Israel during the 1967 war. Israel views such proposals skeptically.
Hamas has been officially designated as a terrorist entity by various entities, including Israel, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Egypt, and Japan.
Hamas is part of a regional alliance that includes Iran, Syria, and the Shiite Islamist group Hezbollah in Lebanon. These entities broadly oppose U.S. policy in the Middle East and are critical of Israel.
Although its primary influence is concentrated in Gaza, Hamas also enjoys support across the Palestinian territories and has leaders dispersed throughout the Middle East, including countries such as Qatar.
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