Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni Islamic terrorist organization that operates primarily in Gaza and the West Bank, with holdings in Arab countries throughout the Middle East.
Hamas was an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood political movement, and was established in 1987 in the wake of the First Intifada. According to Hamas’s charter, the organization was established to liberate Palestine from Israel in order to establish an Islamic state. It holds aspirations on all territory between the Mediterranean seas and the Jordan river, and refuses to acknowledge Israel in any capacity.
The group has a military wing, known as the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades. Hamas has used a wide range of tactics, but it does not discriminate in its targets, and often targets civilians. It is recognized by most Western states as a terrorist organization. Hamas has engaged in a number of military confrontations with Israel. Its military wing has employed tactics such as suicide bombings, rocket attacks, kidnapping attempts, and tunnel infiltrations against Israeli soldiers and civilians.
In 2006, the Palestinians held legislative elections in Gaza, but when Hamas won, there was a civil war, and Hamas seized full control of the Strip. Under Hamas, Gaza has been in a longstanding state of conflict with Israel. From the 2005 Israeli disengagement onwards, Hamas has continued to commit terrorist attacks against Israelis from Gaza, and several operations have been fought to quell Hamas attacks, including 2008's Cast Lead, 2011's Pillar of Defense, 2014's Protective Edge, 2021's Guardian of the Walls, and 2024's Operation Swords of Iron.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists carried out an unprecedented invasion of southern Israel under the cover of widespread rocket-fire, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping hundreds to serve as hostages in Gaza. This started the ongoing Israel-Hamas War, which has seen the IDF carry out numerous strikes in Gaza and carrying out a ground invasion to wipe the terrorist group out.
In the year since, the IDF has managed to take out most of Hamas's leadership, including Saleh al-Arouri, Mohammed Deif, Yahya Sinwar, and Ismail Haniyeh.
The Israeli hostages released in exchange are Avera Mengistu, Eliya Cohen, Hisham al-Sayed, Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov, and Tal Shoham.
This marks the first time in the deal that hostages were released in Rafah and in Nuseirat.
Nir Oz confirmed Shiri Bibas's remains following forensic testing • Palestinian prisoners to be released later today
Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the IDF to increase the intensity of military operations in the West Bank, in particular targeting the Tulkarm refugee camp.
As Gaza faces catastrophic destruction, the international community's opposition to voluntary migration raises questions about Palestinian rights and political motives.
Kibbutz Nir Oz announced that Shiri Bibas had been murdered in Hamas captivity an hour after the body arrived at the Institute of Forensic Medicine; the Institute has not yet confirmed this.
It is not fully known what happened to Shiri and the two children. It is not known if the Mujahideen group was responsible for murdering them or if Hamas was.
The IDF was able to verify that Hamas murdered the Bibas kids and attempted to conceal the evidence of the murders.
Kibbutz Nir Oz calls for "release not revenge"; Finance Minister Smotrich calls for Hamas’s annihilation; Aryeh Deri calls to strike Hamas with "an iron fist."
Yarden Bibas cannot look away. Nor can we. There can be no rest until Yarden receives his answer to such a simple question: Where is Shiri?
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