who is hamas

Hamas, also known as the Islamic Resistance Movement (Harakat al-Muqawama al- Islamiya in Arabic), is a Sunni Islamist Palestinian nationalist political and militant organization. It was founded in 1987 by Palestinian Islamic scholar Ahmed Yassin during the First Intifada against Israeli occupation. Hamas has a military wing called the Qassam Brigades and has governed the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip since 2007 after winning the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections and subsequently seizing control from the rival Fatah faction. Hamas emerged from the Muslim Brotherhood and initially received discreet support from Israel to counterbalance the secular Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). The group rejects the existence of Israel and advocates for resistance as a means to liberate Palestine from Israeli occupation. It has been involved in numerous conflicts with Israel, including wars in 2008-09, 2012, 2014, 2021, and ongoing conflicts since 2023. Many countries, including the United States and the European Union, designate Hamas as a terrorist organization due to its attacks against Israel, which have included suicide bombings and rocket attacks. Hamas also has political and financial backing from countries like Iran, Turkey, and Qatar. Hamas's objectives remain the liberation of Palestine, and although it published a new charter in 2017 that removed explicit calls for killing Jews, it still refuses to recognize Israel and maintains an Islamist nationalist stance. The group is a central player in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the ongoing regional tensions in the Middle East.