What Is Hamas?

Tension and violence between Hamas and Israel have waxed and waned over the decades, and gone through cycles of peace talks, temporary cessations in fighting, resumed attacks, etc. In 1999 — a critical turning point in the conflict — Al Jazeera explained that the Oslo Accords granted Palestine sovereign nation status. Not satisfied with the resolution, Palestinians revolted against Israel with suicide bombers, sniper rifles, rockets, and more. While Hamas isn’t directly discussed in relation to these attacks, the presence of such weaponry is telling.

Israel fought back, and thousands died on both sides in what became known as the second intifada – the first intifada happened in the late 1980s and was more of a loose street rebellion rather than an organized resistance. Figures vary, but Vox reports that over 4,000 people died from 2000 to 2005, while Deutsche Welle reports more than 5,000 dead from 2000 to 2007. The instability created by this conflict allowed Hamas to move into Gaza, take it over in 2007, and occupy it to the present. In response, the BBC says that Israel has blockaded Gaza ever since, stranding its 1 million people and forcing about 80% of them to rely on international aid to survive.

To make matters worse, Counterterrorism Ethics says that Hamas has received financial backing from Iran, a state ruled by fundamentalist Islamic leadership since 1979. Iran has forked over millions to Hamas, as well as given them advanced rocketry.