Hamas is an armed group based in Gaza that has been involved in deadly clashes with Israeli forces in recent decades. Find out all about Hamas’ conflicts with Israel here.
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Hamas: Why in the news?
Hamas is a Palestinian political armed group that was founded in 1987. It was created as a resistance movement with the goal of liberating Palestine from Israeli occupation and establishing an Islamic state. Hamas has been involved in numerous attacks on Israel, including suicide bombings and rocket attacks, which has led to it being designated a terrorist organization by several countries. Its role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is complex, as some Palestinians see it as a legitimate resistance against Israeli oppression, while others see it as a terrorist organization that undermines prospects for peace and a two-state solution.
In the early morning of October 7, the armed group launched a series of surprise attacks on Israel from the air, land and sea. Hamas launched 5,000 rockets, killing over 700 Israelis. The group’s fighters also infiltrated the border between Israel and Gaza, killing civilians and forcibly occupying several villages.
Read | Why is the Palestinian group Hamas attacking Israel? Explained
Palestine: Geography
Palestine is divided into the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (located west of the Dead Sea). See the map below showing Israel-Palestine in biblical and present times.
See the current position of Palestine:
Also read| Israel-Palestine Conflict: Main Reasons, History and Timeline Here
When and how was Hamas created?
- The protest first started in Jerusalem.
- Tensions escalated as the Hamas-dominated Gaza Strip attacked various parts of the country.
- In 1989, the Palestine Liberation Organization declared the area free and under Palestinian control.
- Until 1948, Palestine usually referred to the geographical region located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.
- The Palestinians realized that they needed a political solution when Israel came to power. Fatah, an organization was founded to initiate a political solution to the problem. Fatah was founded in 1950 and is now headed by Mohd. Abbas.
- Fatah was liberal, but in 1987 the radical organization Hamas was formed against Fatah. She promoted Muslim brotherhood.
- A division was observed between the Palestinian movement itself.
- It was in 1987 when the First Intifada broke out. This was due to Palestinian anger over the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. Palestinian militias rebelled, and hundreds of people were killed.
- Then a subsequent peace process called the Oslo Peace Accords was launched during the early 1990s to end the ongoing violence.
- In Oslo, I worked on a timetable for the Middle East peace process along with a plan for a Palestinian interim government in parts of Gaza and the West Bank.
- The agreement was signed in 1993 in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The Palestinian Legislative Council was formed and two elections have been held since then.
- In the 2006 elections, 132 mandates were contested. Hamas has gained political power in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Hamas wanted to defeat Israel and won 73 seats. Fatah won only 45 seats. Elections were called again in 2021, so after the start of the rocket fire that led to the conflict, many wanted to know the true intentions of Hamas.
The role of Hamas in the current conflict:
- On October 7, Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, launched “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” against Israel. The initial rocket barrage was fired at 6:30 a.m. local time (03:30 GMT). The group claimed to have launched more than 5,000 rockets.
- The attacks took place on Simchat Torah, a Jewish celebration held at the end of the week-long Jewish festival known as Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles.
- The main cause of Hamas’ attacks on Israel can be found in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the years of subjugation and suffering of the Palestinian people.
- Gaza, a Palestinian region under Israeli siege, has seen multiple devastating wars and continued violence, resulting in significant loss of life and destruction of infrastructure. According to a Hamas spokesman, unless foreign measures are taken against Israel and the IDF for years of crimes committed in Gaza, the group will take whatever steps are necessary to fight for Palestinian rights.
Questions
Who is the head of Hamas?
Khaled Mashal is the head of Hamas
When was Hamas created?
Hamas was founded in 1987 against the Fateh group
When did Hamas take control of Gaza and the West Bank?
Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, after which it assumed administrative control over the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
What does Hamas control?
Hamas now controls the Government and politics and Palestine
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Source: newstars.edu.vn