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 Izz ad-Din 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, and 2021's Guardian of the Walls.
Pressure has been mounting on Israel and Hamas to come to an agreement before Israel begins the latest military operation in Rafah.
Doha’s multifaced foreign policy, while sometimes effective, might be the reason why it has not been able to bring real results to the table as a mediator between Israel and Hamas.
Hamid Mutasher, peace activist from the Ahwazi Arab minority of Iran, calls for unorthodox solution for Iranian expansionism, namely dismantling Iran into smaller nation states.
The approval comes as Hamas negotiators in Cairo consider an Israeli proposal to postpone or forgo a Rafah invasion in exchange for a release of Israeli hostages.
Gov't ministers butt heads over war priorities • Anti-Israel protests continue on US college campuses • Heavy barrage launched on Israel's north overnight
Sinwar identified Netanyahu’s weakness and even wrote him a letter asking him to “take a risk,” which he did – a big one.
We have nothing to atone for in this incident or the countless others Hamas has brought on its own people.
Biden avoided the large protests at the front of the hotel by arriving through a back entrance, where he was greeted by smaller groups of protesters calling for a ceasefire.
Normalization with Saudi Arabia is crucial but shouldn't come at the cost of significant concessions.
Iran wants US-China relations to get worse and it is also seeking to exploit the war in Gaza to create a new regional and world order.
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