Hamas

Ian Miller
Feb 14
2 min read

Hamas (an acronym of the Arabic Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya, “Islamic Resistance Movement”) is a Palestinian Sunni Islamist organization that combines a political party, a wide social-services network, and an armed wing. It has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007 and is central to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

Key facts

Founded: 1987, during the First Intifada
Founders: Ahmed Yassin, Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi and other Muslim Brotherhood figures
Ideology: Palestinian nationalism, Sunni Islamism, anti-Zionism
Main base: Gaza City, Gaza Strip
Armed wing: Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
Terrorist designation: Designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., EU, U.K., and others

Origins and evolution

Hamas grew out of the local branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza, which had built influence via mosques and charities. It formally emerged in 1987, positioning itself as an Islamist alternative to the more secular Palestine Liberation Organization. Its 1988 charter called for an Islamic state in all of historic Palestine and rejected recognition of Israel.

In 2017, Hamas issued a new policy document that softened some rhetoric, accepted a Palestinian state within 1967 borders as a “formula of national consensus,” and distanced itself formally from the Muslim Brotherhood, while still refusing to recognize Israel.

Political role and governance

Hamas entered electoral politics and won a majority in the 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council elections, defeating the rival Fatah. A violent power struggle with Fatah culminated in Hamas seizing control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, leaving the West Bank under Fatah-led Palestinian Authority rule and creating a divided Palestinian polity.

Since then, Hamas has functioned as the de facto governing authority in Gaza, managing internal security, taxation, and services, while facing Israeli and Egyptian blockades, internal dissent, and repeated wars with Israel. It also maintains a large network of religious, educational, and welfare institutions that help sustain its support base.

Military activity and international status

Hamas’s armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, has carried out suicide bombings, shootings, kidnappings, and extensive rocket fire against Israel, targeting both military and civilian sites. Israel and many Western and regional states classify Hamas (in whole or in part) as a terrorist organization because of these attacks and its stated goal of “resistance” until Palestinian liberation.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas led a large-scale attack on Israel that killed around 1,200 people and involved mass hostage-taking, triggering a devastating Israeli military campaign in Gaza and dramatically escalating the conflict. The group’s future role and the governance of Gaza remain highly contested internationally.

Ideology and objectives

Hamas blends Palestinian nationalism with Sunni Islamist doctrine. It frames its struggle as resistance to occupation and Zionism, viewing armed struggle as both a political and religious duty. While it has signaled tactical openness to long-term truces and a state on 1967 borders, its documents and leaders maintain a long-term vision of “liberating” all of historic Palestine, and it does not formally recognize Israel.