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{{Infobox Political Party
|name_english = Hamas
|name_native ={{lang|ar|''<big>حركة المقاومة الاسلامية</big>''}}
|colorcode = #008000
|party_logo = ]
|leader = ],<br/>],<br/>]
|foundation = ]
|founder = ]
|ideology = ],<br />] ], ]
|headquarters = ]
|international =
|members = Unknown
|website =
}}
'''Hamas''' ({{lang|ar|حماس}} ''Ḥamās'', an acronym of حركة المقاومة الاسلامية ''Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamat al-Islāmiyyah'', meaning "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a ] ] ] organization and political party which holds a majority of seats in the elected legislative council of the ].<ref name="BBCHamasVictory"> BBC News</ref>

Hamas was created in 1987 by Sheikh ], ] and ] of the Palestinian wing of the ] at the beginning of the ].

Hamas's political wing has won many local elections in ], ], and ]. In January 2006, Hamas won a surprise victory in the Palestinian ], taking 76 of the 132 seats in the chamber, while the ruling ] party took 43.<ref name="BBC-Hamas-who">{{cite news | title=Who are Hamas?|publisher=BBC News|date=January 26, 2006 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1654510.stm}}</ref> The Hamas charter states: "There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through ]."<ref name=Covenant>, MidEast Web, August 18, 1988; , The Avalon Project at Yale Law School, retrieved April 22, 2006. </ref> Many perceived the preceding Fatah government as corrupt and ineffective, and Hamas's supporters see it as an "]"<ref>Kristen Ess. ''ZNet''. Palestine, January 31, 2006.</ref> movement defending Palestinians from the ] of ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Who are Hamas?|publisher=BBC News|date=January 26, 2006 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1654510.stm}}</ref> However, since Hamas's election victory, particularly sharp infighting has occurred between Hamas and Fatah.<ref name=Newsweek1> , ''Newsweek'', June 26, 2006.</ref><ref>"...they find themselves on the brink of civil war in a power struggle between the governing Hamas movement and President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah group. In two days of fighting between the two rival and well-armed factions, 12 Palestinians have been killed and more than 100 wounded, and there are few signs the months-long political dispute at the centre of the violence is about to die down." al-Mughrabi, Nidal and Assadi, Mohammed. , '']'', October 3, 2006.</ref>

Following the ] in June 2007, elected Hamas officials were ousted from their positions in the ] government in the ], replaced by rival ] members and independents in an action that many Palestinians and other experts considered illegal.<ref> ] June 19, 2007</ref><ref> ] June 23, 2007</ref> On 18 June 2007, Palestinian President ] (]) issued a decree outlawing the Hamas militia and executive force.<ref></ref>

Hamas is listed as a ] organization by ],<ref name="psepc-Safe">, Public Security and Emergency Preparedness Canada, National Security, Listed entities. Accessed July 31, 2006.</ref> the ],<ref name="EUTerrorList"> ], December 21, 2005</ref><ref> Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Sep 7, 2003 by Frank Bruni New York Times News Service</ref><ref> by Adam Davidson</ref><ref></ref> ],<ref> (Israel MFA)</ref> ],<ref> states that it has frozen the assets of "terrorist organizations, including... Hamas."</ref> and the ],<ref name=SD1>, ]. Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. US Dept. of State Publication 11324. April 2006. p 196</ref> and is banned in ].<ref name="Star1">Karmi, Omar. , ''The Daily Star'', February 18, 2006</ref> ]<ref name="NSF-Australia-terrorlist">, Australian Government Attorney-General's Department, 27 January 2006. Accessed July 31, 2006.</ref> and the ]<ref name="UKTerrorList"></ref> list only the military wing of Hamas, the ], as a terrorist organization. The ] and the ] have both implemented restrictive measures against Hamas on an international level.<ref name="EUTerrorList"> ], December 21, 2005</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0DEEDC1E3BF934A15755C0A9659C8B63|title=THE MIDEAST TURMOIL: WASHINGTON'S VIEW; Rice Urges European Union to Classify Hamas as Terrorist|author=DON VAN NATTA JR.|publisher='']''|date=June 27, 2003}}</ref>

According to the ], the group "receives some funding from Iran but primarily relies on donations from Palestinian expatriates around the world and private benefactors in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states."<ref name=SD1/>

Hamas claims it will ceasefire with Israel in exchange for the 1967 border (the land occupied then)<ref name = "telegraph-2006">{{cite news|date=2006-02-09|title= Hamas offers deal if Israel pulls out| publisher= The Telegraph |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/09/wmid09.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/02/09/ixworld.html}}</ref>, but their Charter still states, "the land of Palestine has been an Islamic Waqf throughout the generations and until the Day of Resurrection, no one can renounce it or part of it, or abandon it or part of it".<ref name="Covenant"/>

== Name ==
Some disagreement exists over the meaning of the word "Hamas" itself. ''Hamas'' is an ] of the ] phrase حركة المقاومة الاسلامية, or '''Harakat al-Muqāwama al-Islāmiyya''' or "Islamic Resistance Movement". In Arabic the word "Hamās" translates roughly to "enthusiasm, zeal, ''élan'', or fighting spirit".<ref>حماس''Hamās'' enthusiasm, rapture; zeal; elan, fighting spirit. ]. '']''.</ref> The initial consonant is not the ordinary /h/ of English, but a slightly more rasping sound, the ] {{IPA|/ħ/}}, transcribed as <ḥ>; it is for this reason that speakers of Hebrew frequently use the ] {{IPA|/χ/}}, the equivalent sound for most Hebrew speakers. (Note that in Hebrew, the word חמס (ḥamas or χamas) is a literary term meaning "to oppress" or "evil-doing")

The military wing of Hamas, formed in 1992, is known as the ] to commemorate Sheikh ], an influential Palestinian nationalist leader killed by the British in 1935. Armed Hamas cells also sometimes refer to themselves as "Students of Ayyash", "Students of the Engineer", or "Yahya Ayyash Units",<ref>Kushner, Harvey W. (2002). Encyclopedia of Terrorism, p.160 Sage Publications, ISBN 0-7619-2408-6</ref> to commemorate ], an early Hamas bomb-maker killed in 1996.<ref name="BBC-Hamas-who" />

== History ==
{{main|History of Hamas}}
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin founded Hamas in 1987 as an offshoot of ]'s ]. The acronym "Hamas" first appeared in 1987 in a leaflet that accused the Israeli ]s of undermining the moral fiber of Palestinian youth as part of ]'s recruitment of what Hamas termed "]s". The ], the military branch, was created in 1992, a year before the ].
During the 1990s and 2000s it became best known in the ] for its ]<ref name="suicide bombings">Best known for suicide bombings/attacks:
*"Best known for the violence it launched against Israel through suicide bombings and rocket attacks... " (Murphy, John. , '']'', January 22, 2006)
*"To the outside world, Hamas is best-known — infamous — for its reliance on suicide bombers." (,'']'' '']'', May 9, 2006)
* "Defined as a terrorist organization by Israel, the U.S. and the European Union because of its suicide attacks on Israeli civilians..." (Karon, Tony., , '']'', December 11, 2001)
* "Hamas is best known abroad for the scores of suicide bombings it has carried out and its commitment to the destruction of Israel." (Barzak, Ibrahim. , '']'', January 20, 2006, p. 2)
* "...the militant organization, best known abroad for its attacks against Israeli civilians..." (Musharbash, Yassin. {{Dead link|date=July 2008}}, '']'', January 27, 2006)
* "Although Hamas is best known for its suicide attacks..." (, '']'' '']'', April 4, 2002)
* "...is perhaps best known for its suicide bombings against Israeli targets." (Lynfield, Ben. , '']'', December 27, 2004)
* "...it was best known in Israel and abroad for the suicide attacks it used..." (, '']'', January 27, 2006).</ref> and other attacks directed against civilians, including the ] and the ] suicide bombings.

On 26 January 2004, senior Hamas official ] offered a 10-year truce, or '']'', in return for a complete withdrawal by Israel from the ] in the ], and the establishment of a Palestinian state (it later repeated the same offer after winning the majority in the ], accepting the 2002 ]<ref> {{fr icon}} {{Cite news | title=Le Quartet cherche une solution à la banqueroute palestinienne |date=May 9, 2006 | accessdate=2008-07-04 | publisher=]|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3218,36-769645,0.html}} </ref>). Hamas leader Sheikh ] stated that the group could accept a Palestinian state in the ] and ]. Rantissi confirmed that Hamas had come to the conclusion that it was "difficult to liberate all our land at this stage, so we accept a phased liberation."

From the time of an attack on the Israeli southern town of ] in August 2004, in which 15 civilians were killed and 125 wounded, the truce was generally observed. Hamas violated it once, in August 2005, with an attack on the same bus station, wounding seven. Also in 2005, a group claiming to be aligned with Hamas were involved in several attacks on Israelis in the Hebron area of the ], killing six.<ref>{{cite news|title=Deadly Hebron cell caught|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3211836,00.html|publisher = Y Net News|date=6 February 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Shin Bet cracks Hamas terror cell|url= http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1138622559871&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |date=6 February 2006|publisher=]}}</ref>

While Hamas had boycotted the ], in which ] was elected to replace ], it did participate in the ] held between January and May 2005, in which it took control of ] and ] in the Gaza Strip and ] in the ]. The ] marked another victory for Hamas, which gained the majority of seats in the first fair and democratic elections held in Palestine,<ref>, ], 19 June 2007
</ref> defeating the ruling ] party. The "List of Change and Reform", as Hamas presented itself, obtained 42.9% of the vote and 74 of the 132 seats.<ref></ref>

Hamas omitted its call for the destruction of Israel from its election manifesto, calling instead for "the establishment of an independent state whose capital is ]."<ref name="guard1"/><ref name = "ynetnews-40yearslater">{{cite news | title=Hamas: Ceasefire for return to 1967 border | publisher=Y Net News |date=January 30, 2006 | url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3207845,00.html}}</ref>

On 13 February 2006, in an interview in Russian newspaper '']'',<ref name="ynetnews1">, ynetnews March 3, 2006</ref> the same Khaled Mashal declared that if Israel wants "peace", it must recognize the 1967 borders, withdraw itself from all ] (including the ] and ]) and recognize Palestinian rights that would include the "right of return". Mashal would not acknowledge the ], adopted by the Quartet in June 2003, because "The problem is not Hamas' stance, but Israel's stance. It is in fact not honoring the Road Map".<ref>, ynetnews March 3, 2006</ref> The Road map projected the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in 2005.<ref name="forbes1">{{cite news | title=Hamas will end armed struggle if Israel quits territories — leader | publisher=AFX News Limited |date=12 February 2006 | url=http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/afx/2006/02/12/afx2519867.html}}</ref>

In May 2006, during demonstrations in the ] and ] in support of Hamas and against US-led sanctions, Hamas leaders threatened a new Intifada, as well as to "chop off" the head of anyone who tried to bring down their cabinet.<ref>Abu Toameh, Khaled. , '']'', May 6, 2006.</ref> At the same time, Hamas took a stance favoring renewed support for the 2002 Arab peace initiative.<ref> Le Monde Diplomatique, July 2007, http://mondediplo.com/2007/07/05palestine </ref>

After the formation of the Hamas cabinet on 20 March 2006, tensions between Fatah and Hamas militants progressively rose in the Gaza strip, leading to demonstrations and violence, along with repeated attempts at a truce.<ref>Mahnaimi, Uzi. , '']'', 7 May 2006</ref>

On 27 June 2006 Hamas and ] reached an agreement which included the forming of a national unity government. On 8 February 2007, Hamas and Fatah signed a deal to end ] that had killed nearly 200 Palestinians and to form a coalition, hoping this would lead Western powers to lift crippling sanctions imposed on the Hamas-led government.<ref>Saud Abu Ramadan and David Rosenberg. ". ''Bloomberg'', 9 February 2007.</ref>

The events leading to the ] began on 9 June 2006. During an Israeli artillery operation, ] occurred on a busy Gaza beach, killing eight Palestinian civilians.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,1794536,00.html|title=Death on the Beach: Seven Palestinians killed as Israeli shells hit family picnic|publisher=Guardian|date=2006-06-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2006-06/11/01.shtml|title= Palestinian Child Buries Slain Family |publisher=]|date=2006-06-11}}</ref>
It was initially assumed that Israeli shellings were responsible for the killings, although Israeli government officials later denied this. Hamas formally withdrew from its 16-month ] on June 10, taking responsibility for the subsequent ] attacks launched from Gaza into Israel.<ref></ref>

On 29 June following the attack of Hamas in which ] was captured, Israel captured 64 Hamas officials. Amongst them were eight ] cabinet ministers and up to twenty members of the ],<ref>{{cite news|title=ISRAELIS, PALESTINIANS URGED TO 'STEP BACK FROM THE BRINK', AVERT FULL-SCALE CONFLICT, AS SECURITY COUNCIL DEBATES EVENTS IN GAZA|publisher=]|date= 2006-06-30|url=http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sc8768.doc.htm}}</ref> as well as heads of regional councils, and the mayor of ] and his deputy. At least a third of the Hamas cabinet was captured and held by Israel. On 6 August Israeli forces detained the Hamas' ], ], at his home in the ].

In June, renewed fighting broke out between Hamas and Fatah. During a brief ] ] and the Palestinian Authority was effectively split in two with Hamas controlling Gaza and Fatah controlling the ]. President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government.<ref> Time</ref> According to an article in the magazine ], in the months leading up to June 2007, the United States, with the assistance of Israel, armed and funded militias controlled by ] and nominally loyal to Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah faction, with the intention of overthrowing the Hamas-led government so that it could be replaced with a US-backed "emergency government". This "secret" plan was reportedly approved by US Secretary of State ] and President ].<ref>David Rose, , Vanity Fair, April 2008</ref> Leaders of Hamas and Fatah later met in the ]i capital ] on 23 March 2008 and agreed to the tentative "Sana'a Declaration" to resume conciliatory talks.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fatah and Hamas agree on Yemeni plan to resume talks (Roundup)|publisher=m&c|date= 2008-03-23|url=http://news.monstersandcritics.com/middleeast/news/article_1396581.php/Fatah_and_Hamas_agree_on_Yemeni_plan_to_resume_talks__Roundup_}}</ref>

On 18 June 2008 ] announced a bilateral ] with Hamas which formally began on 19 June 2008. The agreement was reached after talks between the two camps were conducted with ]ian mediators in ]. As part of the ceasefire, Israel has agreed to resume limited commercial shipping across its border with ], barring any breakdown of the tentative peace deal, and Hamas has hinted that it will enter into a discussion over the release of ], an Israeli soldier captured in a cross border raid in 2006.<ref> BBC News</ref> On 29 July 2008 Abbas warned the GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. ] through the head of the PA's civil affairs department, Hussein al-Sheikh, who is responsible for coordinating with Israel on anything involving the ] and ]. The "personal message" from Abbas, stressed that the Palestinian leader did not speak merely of "resigning," but of "dismantling the PA" if Israel releases the 40 Hamas members of the Palestinian parliament as part of a deal for the return of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit.<ref> 30 July 2008, ''Abbas vows to dismantle PA if Israel frees Hamas prisoners for Shalit'' by Uri Blau</ref>

== Politics ==
], frequently used by Hamas supporters]]
Hamas, unlike the ], refused to accept Israel's existence. Its charter calls for an end to Israel, though during the 2006 election campaign, Hamas did not mention its call for the destruction of Israel in its electoral manifesto.<ref name="guard1">{{cite news|publisher=Guardian|date=January 12, 2006|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1684472,00.html|title=Hamas drops call for destruction of Israel from manifesto}}</ref> On 25 January 2006, after winning the Palestinian elections, Hamas leader ] gave an interview to ] TV denouncing foreign demands that Hamas recognize Israel's right to exist.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=1014|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20061002053320/http://www.memritv.org/Transcript.asp?P1=1014|archivedate=2006-10-02|title=Hamas Leader Mahmoud Al-Zahhar: We Will Not Give Up the Resistance; We Will Not Give Up a Single Inch of Palestine; We Will Not Recognize Israel's Right to Exist|publisher=] (MEMRI) |date=January 25, 2006}}</ref> After the establishment of Hamas government, Dr Al-Zahar stated his "dreams of hanging a huge map of the world on the wall at my Gaza home which does not show Israel on it...I hope that our dream to have our independent state on all historic Palestine (including Israel). This dream will become real one day. I'm certain of this because there is no place for the state of Israel on this land". He also "didn't rule out the possibility of having Jews, Muslims and Christians living under the sovereignty of an Islamic state, adding that the Palestinians never hated the Jews and that only the Israeli occupation was their enemy".<ref>{{cite web|author=Khaled Abu Toameh|title='I dream of a map without Israel'|publisher=]|date=April 2, 2006|url= http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1143498785513&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter}}</ref>

Hamas's charter calls for the eventual creation of an Islamic Republic in their historic homeland of Palestine, in place of Israel.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)|publisher=MidEast Web|date=18 August 1988|url=http://www.mideastweb.org/hamas.htm}}</ref> Hamas sees this view as an Islamic religious duty and prophesy that comes directly from ].<ref> "There is no solution to the Palestinian problem except by Jihad. The initiatives, proposals and International Conferences are but a waste of time, an exercise in futility. The Palestinian people are too noble to have their future, their right and their destiny submitted to a vain game. As the hadith has it: “The people of Syria are Allah’s whip on this land; He takes revenge by their intermediary from whoever he wished among his worshipers. The Hypocrites among them are forbidden from vanquishing the true believers, and they will die in anxiety and sorrow.” (Told by Tabarani, who is traceable in ascending order of traditionaries to Muhammad, and by Ahmed whose chain of transmission is incomplete. But it is bound to be a true hadith, for both story tellers are reliable. Allah knows best.)" ''The Palestine Center'' </ref>
In 1999, late Hamas co-founder ] mentioned the year 2027 as the possible date for the "disappearance" of Israel.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Palestinian media dream a possible dream|url= http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=317595&contrassID=2&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y |author=Arnon Regular|accessdate=2008-07-04|publisher=]}}</ref> The group has not issued a clear statement about how it would deal with the current population of Israel, should it succeed in overthrowing Israeli and secular Palestinian government. ], one of its co-founders, stated that the movement's goal is "to remove Israel from the map".<ref> {{cite news | title=New-look Hamas spends £100k on an image makeover | publisher=Guardian |date=20 January 2006|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1690610,00.html}} </ref> On 13 February 2005, Hamas leader ] declared that Hamas would stop ] against Israel if Israel recognized the 1967 ], withdrew from all Palestinian territories and accepted the demand for "]" ('']'').

Hamas uses both political activities and violence to pursue its goal of establishing an Islamic ] in place of Israel and the secular ].<ref> "The U.S. State Department concluded that: `various elements of Hamas have used both political and violent means, including terrorism, to pursue the goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in place of Israel.' 16 In February, 1989, Hamas claimed responsibility when two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and murdered in separate incidents while hitchhiking home from their posts in southern Israel. The body of one was recovered. More recently, December 13, 1992, an Israeli border guard, Nissim Toledano, was kidnapped near his home in Lod. The kidnappers claimed to be members of the Al Qassam brigade of Hamas and demanded the release of Hamas leader, Sheikh Yasin, from prison in exchange for the sergeants's release. The Sheikh made a public plea for the soldier's release, but the body of the victim was discovered two days later. 17 Recent attacks claimed by Hamas against crowded civilian buses and random citizens at work or near their homes indicate that Hamas no longer attempts to argue that it attacks only military targets. On July 1, 1993, Hamas openly claimed responsibility for an attack against a Jerusalem public bus in which two women were murdered." ] from ] (FAS) </ref> Israeli military operations during the ] in 2002 put pressure on Hamas in the West Bank following several bombings in Israel for which Hamas claimed responsibility.{{Fact|date=October 2008}} Hamas has also engaged in peaceful political activities, including running candidates in West Bank ] elections.

During the election campaign the organization stated in its election manifesto that it was prepared to use "armed resistance to end the occupation".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stockholmsfria.nu/artikel/6296|title= Islamistisk politik vinner mark|author=Madelene Axelsson|date=January 27, 2006|publisher=]}} {{sv icon}}</ref>

The slogan of Hamas is "God is its target, ] is its model, the ] its ]: Jihad is its path and death for the sake of God is the loftiest of its wishes." Hamas states that its objective is to support the oppressed and wronged and "to bring about justice and defeat injustice, in word and deed." Hamas believes that "the land of Palestine is an Islamic ] (trust) consecrated for future Muslim generations until ]," and as such, the land cannot be negotiated away by any political leader. Hamas' covenant states that "so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences" are "in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement", stating "there is no solution for the Palestinian question except through ]".<ref></ref>

=== Hamas documents ===
Hamas has expressed its political stances and explained its views in a series of documents published since its founding.

According to one translation{{specify}}, the 1988 Hamas Covenant (or Charter) states that the organization's goal is to "raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine, for under the wing of Islam followers of all religions can coexist in security and safety where their lives, possessions and rights are concerned." It further asserts that "The Islamic Resistance Movement is a humanistic movement. It takes care of human rights and is guided by Islamic tolerance when dealing with the followers of other religions. It does not antagonize anyone of them except if it is antagonized by it or stands in its way to hamper its moves and waste its efforts. Under the wing of Islam, it is possible for the followers of the three religions - Islam, Christianity and Judaism - to coexist in peace and quiet with each other. Peace and quiet would not be possible except under the wing of Islam. Past and present history are the best witness to that."

The thirty-six articles of the Covenant detail the movement's Islamist beliefs regarding the primacy of Islam in all aspects of life. The Covenant identifies Hamas as the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine and considers its members to be Muslims who "fear God and raise the banner of Jihad in the face of the oppressors." Hamas describes resisting and quelling the enemy as the individual duty of every Muslim and prescribes vigilant roles for all members of society; including men and women, professionals, scientists and students.
*"As noted, the Hamas view of the Jewish people is not drawn solely from the pages of the Qur'an and ''hadith''. Its myopia is also the product of Western anti-Semitic influences. While Hamas, like other modern-day Islamists, has developed its argument on the Jewish question by relying on Qur'anic and other Islamic sources, it also, as Nettler notes, makes it 'modern by appropriate commentary, and supplemented by felicitous borrowing from such classical Western anti-Semitic sources as ''The Protocols of the Elders of Zion''. Such opinions are influenced by the most bizarre form of Gentile paranoid conspiracy theory." Beverley Milton-Edwards, ''Islamic Politics in Palestine'', I.B. Tauris, 1996, ISBN 1860644759, p. 188
*"In calling for holy war against Israel, the covenant of Hamas, drawn up in 1998, also employs the language of the Protocols." Frederick M. Schweitzer, Marvin Perry, ''Anti-Semitism: myth and hate from antiquity to the present'', Palgrave Macmillan, 2002, ISBN 0312165617, p. 116.
*"The demonization of the Zionists by the Hamas organization is also heavily shaped by European Christian anti-Semitism. This prejudice began to infiltrate the Arab world, most notably in the circulation of the 1926 Arabic translation of the ''Protocols of the Elders of Zion''... Reliance upon the document is evidenced in the group's charter... The ''Protocols of the Elders of Zion'' also informs Hamas's belief that Israel has hegemonic aspirations that extend beyond Palestinian land. As described in the charter, the counterfeit document identifies the Zionists' wish to expand their reign from the Nile River to the Euphrates." Michael P. Arena, Bruce A. Arrigo, ''The Terrorist Identity: Explaining the Terrorist Threat'', NYU Press, 2006, ISBN 0814707165, pp. 133-134.
*"From the beginning, Hamas espoused the antisemitism of the Muslim Brotherhood's leading thinkers, Hasah al-Banna and Sayyid Qutb. This fact is clear from its own ideological credo formulated as the Islamic covenant in 1988, which not only calls for Islam to eliminate Israel but also states "our struggle against the Jews is extremely wide-ranging and grave." It cites the Hadith... in noting that at the end of time, Muslims will fight the Jews and kill them. The covenant and other Hamas publications draw on the libels of the '']'', accusing Jews of a universal conspiracy for world domination... Some of the antisemitic canards are backed in the covenant by koranic proof texts." Levy, Richard S. ''Antisemitism: A Historical Encyclopedia of Prejudice and Persecution'', ABL_CLIO, 2005, p. 289.ISBN 1851094393
*"Hamas, like most Islamist groups, is fundamentally anti-Semitic (in the commonly understood sense of the word). This is seen in at least two ways. First, the Hamas discourse refers primarily to "Jewish" (''al-yahud''), less so "Zionists" (''al-sahyunuyiun''), and almost never to "Israelies" (''al-isriliyun'')... However, Hamas is properly termed anti-Semitic for propogating the slander of Jewish control of the world, particularly the world's financial health." Glenn E. Robinson, "Hamas as Social Movement", in Quintan Wiktorowicz, Mark Tessler. ''Islamic Activism: A Social Movement Theory Approach'', ], 2004, p. 131. ISBN 0253216214
*"In addition, classically anti-Semitic texts coming from pre-Holocaust Christian Europe, such as the '']'', also inform the ideals and philosophy of HAMAS members and their views of Jews and Judaism." Thomas M. Leonard, ''Encyclopedia of the Developing World'', Routledge, 2005, p. 742. ISBN 1579583881
*"Hamas hardened the conventional tone among Arab nationalists toward the Jews, adopting anti-Semitic charges based on '']'' concerning a Jewish conspiracy for world domination." Shaul Mishal, Avraham Sela. ''The Palestinian Hamas: Vision, Violence, and Coexistence'', ], 2000, p. 45. ISBN 0231116756</ref>

In several places, the Charter compares Israeli treatment of Palestinians to the actions of the ]. For example Israel is described as "a vicious enemy which acts in a way similar to Nazism, making no differentiation between man and woman, between children and old people" and predicts that the "Zionist Nazi activities against our people will not last for long."

The Charter outlines the organization's position on various issues, including social and economic development and ideological influences, education, as well as its position regarding Israel. Amongst many other things, it reiterates the group's rejection of the principle of coexistence with Zionism, which it defines as a danger not just to Palestinians, but to all Arab states. While primarily focusing on what it calls the "Zionist invasion" of Palestine as the cause of conflict, in places the Charter asserts that Zionism was able to achieve its ends due to the activities of secret organizations such as ] and cites as an example the ability of Zionists to obtain the ]. The Charter asserts that through shrewd manipulation of imperial countries and secret societies, Zionists were behind a wide range of events and disasters going as far back in history as the ] and that "There is no war going on anywhere, without having their finger in it." The Charter also selectively quotes Islamic religious texts to provide justification for fighting against and killing Jews.

A memorandum prepared by the group's political bureau in the 1990s at the request of western diplomats and published in a book by ] stated that Hamas is "a Palestinian national liberation movement that struggles for the liberation of the Palestinian occupied territories and for the recognition of Palestinian legitimate rights." Hamas, the document stated, "regards itself as an extension of an old tradition that goes back to the early 20th century struggle against British and Zionist colonialism in Palestine." The memorandum notes that in principle Hamas does not endorse targeting civilians, but argues that attacks which did so represented "an exception necessitated by Israel's insistence on targeting Palestinian civilians and by Israel's refusal to agree to an understanding prohibiting the killing of civilians on both sides comparable to the one reached between Israel and Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon."<ref>Quotations from Hamas memorandum "This is what we struggle for," reprinted in Tamimi, Azzam, ''Hamas, A History from Within'', Olive Branch Press, 2007, pp. 265-270.</ref> Even in the 1990s, according to this memorandum, the organization foresaw the day when "dialogue" between itself and Israel would be possible, but warned that "The prospect of the movement initiating, or accepting dialogue with Israel is nonexistent at present because of the skewed balance of power between the Palestinians and the Israelis. In Sheikh Yassin's words: 'There can be no dialogue between a party that is strong and oppressive and another that is weak and oppressed. There can be no dialogue except after the end of oppression.'"

=== The possibility of a ceasefire with Israel ===
Hamas omitted its call for the destruction of Israel from its election manifesto, calling instead for "the establishment of an independent state whose capital is ]."<ref name="ynetnews-40yearslater" /> On 8 February 2006, Hamas head ] speaking in ] had clarified that "Anyone who thinks Hamas will change is wrong", stating that while Hamas is willing for a ceasefire with Israel, its long term goal remains: Israel must withdraw from all land occupied in 1967.<ref name = "telegraph-2006">{{cite news|date=2006-02-09|title= Hamas offers deal if Israel pulls out| publisher= The Telegraph |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/09/wmid09.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/02/09/ixworld.html}}</ref>

On 13 February 2006, in an interview in Russian newspaper '']'',<ref name="ynetnews1"/> Mashal declared that Hamas would stop armed struggle against Israel if it recognized the 1967 borders, withdrew itself from all ] (including the West Bank and ]) and recognized Palestinian rights that would include the "right of return". He reaffirmed this stance in a 5 March 2008 interview with ],<ref name="jazeera1">{{cite web|url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=O8TTjb54GzM |title=YouTube - Talk to Jazeera - Khaled Meshaal - 05 Mar 08 - Pt. 1 |publisher=Youtube.com |date= |accessdate=2008-12-29}}</ref> citing Hamas's signing of the and the ], and denied any rejectionist stance. Critics of this offer{{Who|date=March 2008}} suggest that Israel would never accept the Palestinian refugees right of return, as it would create a demographic majority of Muslims in Israel, and thus cancel its Jewish nature. Hamas does not feel bound by the "Road Map to Peace" promoted by the ], since in its view Israel is not abiding by it.<ref name="forbes1"/> Hamas rejects the establishment of a "Palestinian entity with no true sovereignty, whose principal duty is to maintain Israel's security."<ref name="jazeera1"/>

After coming to power, some Hamas leaders have announced that Hamas was giving up suicide attacks and "offered a 10-year truce in return for a complete Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories: the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem."<ref> BBC News, 27 January 2007</ref><ref> Ali Abunimah, author of "One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse," states: "It had observed the unilateral truce with Israel. It had given up suicide attacks against Israeli civilians. And there was no response to that. On the contrary." ''Democracy Now!''. 15 June 2007</ref><ref> ''Christian Science Monitor''. January 31, 2006.</ref> Hamas also declared a unilateral ceasefire with Israel which, after Israeli air strikes in response to Hamas smuggling weapons into Gaza, was formally renounced.<ref> The Daily Telegraph, 17 October 2006</ref>

According to ] of the ], Hamas excludes the possibility of long-term reconciliation with Israel. "Since the Prophet Muhammad made a temporary ], or truce, with the Jews about 1,400 years ago, Hamas allows the idea. But no one in Hamas says he would make a peace treaty with Israel or permanently give up any part of Palestine.".<ref name="nytimes1"></ref> Mkhaimer Abusada, a political scientist at Al Azhar University explains that “They (Hamas) talk of ], not of peace or reconciliation with Israel. They believe over time they will be strong enough to liberate all historic Palestine.”<ref name="nytimes1"/>

On 21 April 2008, former U.S. President and 2002 ] laureate ] met with Hamas Leader ] and reached an agreement that Hamas will respect the creation of a Palestinian state in the ] and ] areas seized by Israel in the ] of 1967, provided this be ratified by the Palestinian people in a referendum. Carter had made several other requests, but these were turned down. Hamas later announced publicly an offer for a 10 year ] with Israel, should they decide to return to their 1967 borders and allow the return of all Palestinian refugees. Several nations originally rejected the plan, but Israel is yet to respond.<ref> New York Times, 22 April 2008</ref><ref> MSNBC</ref>

==End of 2008 Ceasefire==
{{current|section|date=December 2008}}
{{seealso|December 2008 Gaza Strip airstrikes}}
On 17 June 2008, and after months of mediation by Egypt, Egyptian mediators announced that an informal truce was agreed between Hamas and Israel.<ref>{{cite news| title = Israel-Hamas truce announced| publisher = Al Jazeera English| date = 2008-06-17| url = http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/EC97905E-9D8A-4B11-B7E2-4BC3E9DAAF8A.htm| accessdate = 2008-06-17 }}</ref> The truce was set to start from 19 June 2008. Israeli officials initially declined to confirm or deny the agreement <ref>"If indeed there is a cessation of terrorist attacks, if indeed there is an end to the military build-up in Gaza, if indeed there is movement on the issue of Gilad Shalit, this indeed will be a new reality." - Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said to AFP</ref> while Hamas announced that " will adhere to the timetable which was set by Egypt but it is Hamas's right to respond to any Israeli aggression before its implementation".<ref>{{cite news| title =Israel and Hamas reach Gaza truce deal| publisher = AFP| date = 2008-06-17| url = http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/newsmlmmd.5d5f768e765eb57c2e8d1ab69df38153.511.html| accessdate = 2008-06-17 }}</ref>

On 23 December 2008, Hamas issued a statement declaring the six months ceasefire was over, Hamas blamed Israel for the end of the ceasefire on Friday, saying it had not respected its terms, including the lifting of the blockade under which little more than humanitarian aid has been allowed into Gaza.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7791100.stm| title = Hamas Declares Israel Truce Over| date = 2008-12-22| accessdate = 2008-12-27| publisher = BBC News}}</ref> The following day, following the launch of more than 70 rockets from Gaza targeted at Israel,<ref></ref> Hamas issued a statement that they would consider renewing the expired truce&mdash;"if Israel stopped its aggression" in Gaza and opened up its border crossings.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7797144.stm| title = Hamas 'might renew truce' in Gaza | date = 2008-12-23| accessdate = 2008-12-27| publisher = BBC News}}</ref> The previous six weeks had seen a "dramatic increase" in attacks from Hamas, spiking at some 200 or so a day, according to the Israeli government.<ref> Time magazine - December 27, 2008</ref> On December 24, Israeli President ] visited the western Negev town of Sderot which has been bombarded by Hamas rockets on a regular basis. Joining with residents in a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony, Peres said: "In Gaza they are lighting rockets and in Sderot we are lighting candles."<ref> -Ha'artz, December 24, 2008</ref>
Over the weekend of 27-28 December, Israel launched ] against Hamas. Hamas has estimated that at least 100 members of its security forces had been killed, along with at least 1500 women and some children.<ref><http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSLR1342320081227 Israel kills scores in Gaza air strikes></ref> According to Israel, militant training camps, rocket-manufacturing facilities and weapons warehouses that had been pre-identified were hit, and later they attacked rocket and mortar squads who fired around 180 rockets and mortars at Israeli communities.<ref name="Assault"> AP - "Military officials said aircraft released more than 100 tons of bombs in the first nine hours of fighting, focusing initially on militant training camps, rocket-manufacturing facilities and weapons warehouses that had been identified in advance. A second wave was directed at squads who fired about 180 rockets and mortars at Israeli border communities." "Late Saturday, thousands of Gazans received Arabic-language cell-phone messages from the Israeli military, urging them to leave homes where militants might have stashed weapons." </ref> The chief of Gaza's police forces, ], was among those killed. In its attempt to avoid civilian casualties, Israel sent out thousands of cell-phone messages to Gaza, urging residents to leave homes where weapons may be stored.<ref name="Assault" /> Israeli Defence Minister ] indicated the operation will continue until the firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel ceases.<ref></ref>

== Activities ==
=== Provision of social welfare and education ===
Hamas is particularly popular among Palestinians in the ], though it also has a following in the ], and to a lesser extent in other Middle Eastern countries. Since its formation in 1987, Hamas has conducted numerous social, political, and military actions. Its popularity stems in part from its ] and social services to Palestinians in the ], including school and hospital construction. The group devotes much of its estimated $70 million annual budget to an extensive social services network, running many relief and education programs, and funds schools, orphanages, mosques, healthcare clinics, soup kitchens, and sports leagues. According to the Israeli scholar ] "approximately 90 percent of the organization's work is in social, welfare, cultural, and educational activities".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cfrterrorism.org/groups/hamas.html|publisher=]|date=16 March 2006|title=Hamas: Background Q&A}}</ref>

In 1973, the Islamic center 'Mujamma' was established in Gaza and started to offer clinics, blood banks, day care, medical treatment, meals and youth clubs. The centre plays an important role for providing social care to the people, particularly those living in refugee camps. It also extended financial aid and scholarships to young people who wanted to study in Saudi Arabia and the West.<ref>. ], March 2, 2006.</ref>
In particular, Hamas funded health services where people could receive free or inexpensive medical treatment. Hamas greatly contributed to the health sector, and facilitated hospital and physician services in the Palestinian territory. On the other hand, Hamas’s use of hospitals is sometimes criticised as purportedly serving the promotion of suicide bombings and other forms of violence against Israel. {{Fact|date=December 2008}}
Hamas also funded education as well as the health service, and built Islamic charities, libraries, mosques, education centers for women. They also built nurseries, kindergartens and supervised religious schools that provide free meals to children. When children attend their schools and mosques, parents are required to sign oaths of allegiance.
Refugees, as well as those left without homes, are able to claim financial and technical assistance from Hamas.<ref>Peter Hilsenrath {{cite news | title=HEALTH POLICY AS COUNTER-TERRORISM: HEALTH SERVICES AND THE PALESTINIANS |month=October | year=2005|url=http://taylorandfrancis.metapress.com/media/78u409g64p5jvh491v5m/contributions/x/2/6/5/x26530218g04pll8.pdf}}</ref>

The work of Hamas in these fields supplements that provided by the ] (UNRWA). Hamas is also well regarded by Palestinians for its efficiency and perceived lack of corruption compared to Fatah.<ref>{{cite news | title=Why Rising Popularity Poses a Dilemma for Hamas | publisher=Time |date=January 23, 2006|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1151969,00.html}}</ref>

=== Funding ===
According to the ], Hamas is funded by ] (led by a ] regime), Palestinian expatriates, and "private benefactors in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states."<ref name=SD1/> Various sources, among them '']'',<ref name="UPI">"Hamas history tied to Israel", ], 18 June 2002</ref> '']'',{{Fact|date=October 2008}} ]<ref> , April 2006 interview with ], renowned specialist of guerrillas movements and international politics {{fr icon}} </ref> and '']''<ref name="Humanite">{{en icon}}/{{fr icon}}{{cite news|title=Hamas is a creation of Mossad (English translation)|publisher=]|date=Summer 2002| accessdate=2008-07-04 | url=http://globalresearch.ca/articles/ZER403A.html}}; French original version: {{Cite news | title=Hamas, le produit du Mossad |date=December 14, 2001 | accessdate=2006-05-03 | publisher=] | url=http://www.humanite.fr/journal/2001-12-14/2001-12-14-255050}} </ref> have highlighted that Hamas' early growth had been supported by the ] as a "counterbalance to the ] (PLO)". Furthermore, the French investigative newspaper ''Le Canard enchaîné'' stated that ] had also supported Hamas as a counterweight to the PLO and Fatah, in an attempt to give "a religious slant to the conflict, in order to make the West believe that the conflict was between Jews and Muslims", thus supporting the controversial thesis of a "]".<ref name="Le Canard"> ''Les très secrètes 'relations' Israël-Hamas'' (The very secret Israel-Hamas 'relations'), '']'', February 1, 2006 (issue n°4449) {{fr icon}} </ref>

The ] ] was accused in December 2001 of funding Hamas.<ref></ref> The case against the foundation, however, ended in a ] in which, of the 200 charges filed by the ], the jurors had acquitted on some counts and were deadlocked on charges ranging from tax violations to providing material support for terrorists. However in a retrial, on November 24, 2008 the U.S. won convictions of the five leaders of the Holy Land Foundation on all 108 counts of the original indictment.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/us/25charity.html| title=Five Convicted in Terrorism Financing Trial| accessdate=2008-12-29| author=Kovach, Gretel C.| date=2008-11-24| publisher=]}}</ref>

=== Other ===
provides translations of official communiqués in ], ], ], ], ], and ].

In 2005, Hamas announced its intention to launch an experimental TV channel, "]". The station was launched on January 7, 2006, less than three weeks before the ].{{Fact|date=October 2008}} It includes TV shows for children, some of which promote antisemitic views.<ref>{{cite news|title=Anti-Semitic Hate Speech in the Name of Islam|date=May 16, 2008|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,553724,00.html|publisher=Spiegel Online International}}</ref>

== Controversies ==
=== Antisemitism ===
{{See also|Antisemitism in the Arab world}}

==== Hamas founding charter ====
*Article 7 of the Hamas Covenant states the following: "The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (the Cedar tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." (related by al-Bukhari and Muslem).


*Article 22 claims that the ], the ], colonialism and both world wars were created by the Zionists. It also claims the ] and ]s are Zionist fronts.
<blockquote>
"You may speak as much as you want about regional and world wars. They were behind ], when they were able to destroy the ], making financial gains and controlling resources. They obtained the ], formed the ] through which they could rule the world. They were behind ], through which they made huge financial gains by trading in armaments, and paved the way for the establishment of their state. It was they who instigated the replacement of the League of Nations with the United Nations and the Security Council to enable them to rule the world through them. There is no war going on anywhere, without having their finger in it."<ref name="yale1"></ref>
</blockquote>

*Furthermore, Article 32 of the Covenant makes reference to ]:
<blockquote>"Today it is Palestine, tomorrow it will be one country or another. The Zionist plan is limitless. After Palestine, the Zionists aspire to expand from the ] to the ]. When they will have digested the region they overtook, they will aspire to further expansion, and so on. Their plan is embodied in the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion", and their present conduct is the best proof of what we are saying."</blockquote>

==== Expressions by Hamas prominent figures and scholars ====
*A report by ] from 2002 states that the Hamas monthly ''Falastin Al-Muslima'' published a series of articles by Ibrahim Al-'Ali on how ] punished the Jews by transforming them into animals such as "apes, pigs, mice, and lizards". According to ], the author stated that "The transformation was actual" and not metaphoric.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sr&ID=SR01102 | accessdate=2002-11-01 |title="Based on Koranic Verses, Interpretations, and Traditions, Muslim Clerics State: The Jews Are the Descendants of Apes, Pigs, And Other Animals" | publisher=] }}</ref>

*In an editorial in ] in January 2006, ], the chief of Hamas's political bureau denied antisemitism:
<blockquote>"Our message to the Israelis is this: We do not fight you because you belong to a certain faith or culture. Jews have lived in the Muslim world for 13 centuries in peace and harmony; they are in our religion "the ]" who have a covenant from God and his messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him), to be respected and protected."<br />
"Our conflict with you is not religious but political. We have no problem with Jews who have not attacked us — our problem is with those who came to our land, imposed themselves on us by force, destroyed our society and banished our people."<ref name=Guardian31012006>{{cite news|title='We shall never recognize... a Zionist state on our soil'|date=January 31, 2006|publisher=Guardian|url=
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/jan/31/comment.israelandthepalestinians}}</ref>
</blockquote>

*In an interview aired on Al-Aqsa TV on April 9, 2008, Hamas Culture Minister Atallah Abu Al-Subh stated that "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is the faith that every Jew harbors in his heart".<ref></ref>
*In 2008 ] Yousif al-Zahar of Hamas said in his sermon at the ''Katib Wilayat'' mosque in Gaza that "Jews are a people who cannot be trusted. They have been traitors to all agreements. Go back to history. Their fate is their vanishing."<ref name="Hamas ratchets">{{cite web |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/31/mideast/hamas.php | accessdate=2001-11-21 |title="Hamas ratchets up its rhetoric against Jews" | publisher=] }}</ref><ref name="Hamas's Insults">{{cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/01/world/middleeast/01hamas.html?_r=1&scp=9&sq=hamas&st=cse&oref=slogin | accessdate=2008-04-01 |title="In Gaza, Hamas's Insults to Jews Complicate Peace " | publisher=] }}</ref>

*Sheik Yunus al-Astal, a Hamas legislator and ], in a column in the weekly newspaper ''Al Risalah'' in 2008 discussed a Koranic verse suggesting that "suffering by fire is the Jews' destiny in this world and the next." Astal concluded "Therefore we are sure that the Holocaust is still to come upon the Jews.<ref name="Hamas ratchets"/><ref name="Hamas's Insults"/>

====Holocaust denial====
*According to ], In 2003 Hamas leader ] published an article in the Hamas weekly ''Al-Risala'' in which he called the Holocaust "the false Holocaust" and "the greatest of lies". In this article Rantisi expressed support to ] ], ], ], and ], and to the idea that the gas chambers were a myth. Rantisi also stated that "the Nazis received tremendous financial aid from the Zionist banks and monopolies, and this contributed to their rise to power", and accused the Jewish owned Berlin-based investment bank ] of funding the Nazis, calling it a "Zionist bank".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=subjects&Area=antisemitism&ID=SP55803 | accessdate=2003-08-27 |title="Hamas Leader Rantisi: The False Holocaust - The Greatest of Lies Funded by the Zionists" | publisher=] }}</ref>
*In 2005, ] described Ahmadinejad's ] as "courageous" and stated that "...Muslim people will defend Iran because it voices what they have in their hearts, in particular the Palestinian people."<ref>Al Jazeera, Thursday, December 15, 2005 </ref>

==== Academic analysis ====
*Esther Webman of the Project for the Study of Anti-Semitism at the ] wrote in 1994:
<blockquote>"....the anti-Semitic rhetoric in Hamas leaflets is frequent and intense. Nevertheless, anti-Semitism is not the main tenet of Hamas ideology. Generally no differentiation was made in the leaflets between Jew and Zionist, in as much as Judaism was perceived as embracing Zionism, although in other Hamas publications and in interviews with its leaders attempts at this differentiation have been made."<ref name=Webman1994>Webman, Esther. ''Anti-semitic Motifs in the Ideology of Hizballah and Hamas'', Project for the study of Anti-semitism, Tel Aviv University, 1994, p. 22. ISBN 9652225924</ref>
</blockquote>

=== Children's web site and television program ===
{{see also|Tomorrow's Pioneers}}
] is Hamas' web site for children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-fateh.net/ |title=مجلة الفاتح |publisher=Al-fateh.net |date= |accessdate=2008-12-29}}</ref> The site says it is for "the young builders of the future"{{Fact|date=May 2008}} and it has a link to the official web site. Several Israeli reviews and news coverages of the site describe it as hate-mongering and accuse it of glorifying death and suicide for God <ref></ref><ref></ref>

], a Hamas-affiliated station which was shut down by the Palestinian public prosecutor in 2006 for not having a licence<ref>, news24.com, January 22, 2006.</ref> but continues to operate to date, broadcast the children's television program ]<ref>, ], May 13, 2007.</ref> in defiance of the Hamas-led government, which asked that the show's broadcasts be halted pending their evaluation. The show has been accused of furthering themes of ], ], ], ], ], ], and ].{{Fact|date=July 2008}}

=== Crackdown on dissent and on the Press ===
Human rights groups and ordinary Gazans accuse Hamas of forcefully suppressing dissent. An August 26, 2007 article from British conservative newspaper '']'' accuses Hamas of using criminal means, including torture, political detentions, and firing on unarmed protesters who object to Hamas policies.<ref name="Telegraph-HamasHoneymoon">{{cite web | title = Hamas honeymoon ends with torture | url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/26/wgaza126.xml | publisher = ] | first = Charles | last = Levinson | date = 2007-08-26 | accessdate = 2008-05-17 }}</ref>
In October 2008, Hamas announced it would release all political prisoners in their custody in Gaza. Several hours after the announcement, 17 ] members were released.<ref>, ], October 30, 2008.</ref>

Hamas members have also been harassing and arresting Palestinian journalists in Gaza.<ref></ref><ref>, ], August 31, 2007.</ref> On August 29, 2007 Palestinian health officials reported that Hamas had been shutting down Gaza clinics in retaliation for doctor strikes - Hamas confirmed that "punitive measure against doctors" who, according to Hamas, "incite others to strike and suspend services" have been taken.{{Fact|date=October 2008}}

In 2007 Hamas disbanded the Gaza Strip branch of the pro-] Union of Palestinian Journalists, a move that was criticised by ].<ref>, ], 6 September 2007</ref>
On September 7, 2007 Hamas banned public prayers, after ] supporters began holding worship sessions that quickly escalated into raucous protests against Hamas rule. Hamas security forces beat several gathering supporters and journalists.<ref>, ], 7 September 2007</ref>
On November 14, 2007 Hamas arrested a British journalist and canceled all press cards in Gaza. No news photography is allowed without a license from Hamas.<ref name = "B92License>{{cite web
|url= http://www.b92.net/eng/news/world-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=11&dd=15&nav_id=45429
|title= Hamas widens crackdown on journalists in Gaza
|accessdate= 2008-07-04
|date= November 15, 2007
|publisher= ]
|quote= <small>Gaza's Interior Ministry announced that journalists who do not hold official Hamas-issued press cards would not be allowed to work in Gaza.</small>
}}
</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Martin |first=Paul |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article2863831.ece |title=On-the-spot: 'I was arrested by Hamas' - Times Online |publisher=Timesonline.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2008-12-29}}</ref>

On February 8, 2008 Hamas banned distribution of Al-Ayyam newspaper and closure of its offices in the Gaza Strip due to a caricature that mocked legislators loyal to Hamas,<ref> ], February 10, 2008</ref><ref></ref>. Hamas had later issued an arrest request for the editor.<ref></ref>

== Militancy and political violence ==
=== Attacks on civilians ===

Hamas officials have stated several times that they are willing to stop attacks on Israeli civilian targets if Israel stops attacking Palestinian civilian targets in return.<ref>http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1206632372365&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull></ref> In May 2003, ] has said, <blockquote>
"The Hamas movement is prepared to stop terror against Israeli civilians if Israel stops killing Palestinian civilians ... We have told (Palestinian Authority Prime Minister) Abu Mazen in our meetings that there is an opportunity to stop targeting Israeli civilians if the Israelis stop assassinations and raids and stop brutalizing Palestinian civilians."<ref>{{cite web| title=Arnon Regular|publisher=Ha'reetz |url= http://www.borderlandsejournal.adelaide.edu.au/vol4no1_2005/reinhart_complex.htm| date=May 25, 2003|}}</ref></blockquote>

Hamas has been responsible for launching suicide attacks against Israel; the group sees these attacks as a legitimate aspect of its ] against Israel. Hamas' first use of ] occurred on April 16, 1993 when a suicide bomber driving an explosive-laden van detonated between two buses parked at a restaurant. It was Hamas' 19th known attack since 1989 (the others included shootings, kidnappings and knife attacks). {{Fact|date=October 2008}}

Hamas continued to launch suicide attacks during the Oslo Accords period (see ]).

During the ], Hamas, along with the ], spearheaded the violence through the years of the Palestinian uprising.<ref> {{cite news | title=Victory leaves Hamas with a dilemma (Opinion) | publisher=] |date=January 27, 2006|url=http://www.opinion.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/01/27/do2702.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2006/01/27/ixopinion.html}} </ref> Since then Hamas has conducted many attacks on Israel, mainly through its military wing — the ]. These attacks have included large-scale ]s against Israeli civilian targets, the most deadly of which was the bombing of a ] hotel on 27 March 2002, in which 30 people were killed and 140 were wounded. This attack has also been referred to as the ] since it took place on the first night of the Jewish festival of ]. Overall, from November 2000 to April 2004, 377 Israeli citizens and soldiers were killed and 2,076 wounded in 425 attacks by Hamas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.idf.il/DOVER/site/mainpage.asp?sl=EN&id=7&docid=30286.EN |title= IDF |archiveurl=http://web.archttp://en.wikipedia.org/search/?title=Hamas&action=edit&section=19
Editing Hamas (section) - Misplaced Pages, the 💕hive.org/web/20070625114605/http://www1.idf.il/DOVER/site/mainpage.asp?sl=EN&id=7&docid=30286.EN |archivedate=2007-06-25}}</ref> The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains a comprehensive list of Hamas attacks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terror+Groups/Missile%20fire%20from%20Gaza%20on%20Israeli%20civilian%20targets%20Aug%202007 |title=Palestinian terrorists in Gaza continue to fire Kassam rockets at Israeli civilian targets |publisher=Mfa.gov.il |date= |accessdate=2008-12-29}}</ref>

In a 2002 report, ] stated that Hamas' leaders "should be held accountable for the ]s and ]" that have been committed by its members.<ref name="hrw.org-bombing"> V. Structures and Strategies of the Perpetrator Organizations, ], October, 2002. ISBN 1-56432-280-7</ref> In May 2006 Israel arrested Hamas top official ] whom Israeli security officials claim was responsible for dozens of ] and other attacks on Israelis.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3254071,00.html|title= Top Hamas fugitive nabbed|publisher=ynetnews.com|date=May 23, 2006}}</ref>

Since 2002, militants have used homemade ]s to hit Israeli towns in the ], such as ]. Hamas has claimed responsibility for most of these attacks,<ref></ref> and has condoned them when it did not acknowledge responsibility. These attacks are outlined in the ]. The introduction of the ''Qassam-2 rocket'' has allowed militants to reach large Israeli cities such as ], prompting the Israeli military to stop the proliferation and use of the rockets.<ref> BICOM. 2008-05-03.</ref>

=== Guerrilla warfare ===
] ].]]
Hamas has made great use of guerrilla tactics in the Gaza Strip and to a lesser degree the West Bank.<ref name="ynetnews_weight">{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3310425,00.html|publisher=] |date=October 3, 2006|title=Report: Hamas weighing large-scale conflict with Israel}}</ref> Hamas has successfully adapted these techniques over the years since its inception. According to a 2006 report by rival Fatah party, Hamas had smuggled "between several hundred and 1,300 tons" of advanced rockets, along with other weaponry, into Gaza. Some Israelis and some Gazans both noted similarities in Hamas's military buildup to that of ] in the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.<ref name="ynetnews_weight" />

Hamas has used ]s and ]s against the ] in Gaza. The latter include standard ] warheads and home-made rockets such as the ], Al-] and Al-]. The IDF has a difficult, if not impossible time trying to find hidden weapons caches in Palestinian areas — this is due to the high local support base Hamas enjoys.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.humanities.uci.edu/history/levineconference/papers/aburaiya.pdf#search=%22hamas%20enjoys%20great%20popular%20support%22|Author=Issam Aburaiya|date=October 3, 2006|title=Hamas and Palestinian Nationalism}}</ref>

=== Hamas and the United States ===
{{seealso|Israel–United States relations}}

The ] and ] have stated that Hamas threatens the United States through ] on U.S. soil.<ref>. No. 03 CR 978 12. IL District Ct. 2005.</ref><ref>Lake, Eli. "Hamas Agents Lurking in U.S., FBI Warns."] '']''. 29 April 2004. 10 December 2006.</ref> According to ],<BLOCKQUOTE>Hamas has an extensive infrastructure in the US mostly revolving around the activities of fundraising, recruiting and training members, directing operations against Israel, organizing political support and operating through human-rights front groups. While Hamas has not acted outside Israel, it has the capability of carrying out attacks in America if it decided to enlarge the scope of its operations.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3343944,00.html |title=Hamas threatens attacks on US |publisher=Yedioth Ahronoth |date=24 December 2006 |Author=Aaron Klein}}</ref></BLOCKQUOTE>FBI director Robert Mueller has testified to the ] that, <blockquote>It is the FBI's assessment, at this time, that there is a limited threat of a coordinated terrorist attack in the U.S. from Palestinian terrorist organizations, such as HAMAS, the Palestine Islamic Jihad, and the ]. These groups have maintained a longstanding policy of focusing their attacks on Israeli targets in Israel and the Palestinian territories. We believe that the primary interest of Palestinian terrorist groups in the U.S. remains the raising of funds to support their regional goals. Of all the Palestinian groups, HAMAS has the largest presence in the U.S. with a robust infrastructure, primarily focused on fundraising, propaganda for the Palestinian cause, and proselytizing. Although it would be a major strategic shift for HAMAS, its U.S. network is theoretically capable of facilitating acts of terrorism in the U.S.<ref> Testimony of Robert S. Mueller, III, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, before the Senate Committee on Intelligence of the United States Senate. February 16, 2005</ref></BLOCKQUOTE>

On 8 November 2006, after ], Hamas's military wing released a statement condemning both Israel and America. "America is offering political, financial and logistic cover for the Zionist occupation crimes, and it is responsible for the Beit Hanoun massacre. Therefore, the people and the nation all over the globe are required to teach the American enemy tough lessons," Hamas said in a statement sent to the ]. Ghazi Hamad, spokesman for the Hamas-led Palestinian government denied any involvement with the statement, saying "Our battle is against the occupation on the Palestinian land. We have no interest to transfer the battle."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1162378352193&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull|publisher=] |date=November 8, 2006|title=Hamas to Muslims: Attack US targets}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/world/middleeast/08cnd-mideast.html?_r=1&fta=y&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin|publisher=New York Times |date=November 8, 2006|title=Israeli Shells Kill 18; Hamas Calls for Retaliation 1.1.2009 The end of Hamas, At last the israeli forces take all gaza citizens to where they belong to, arab place like iran and Katar where they wanted.}}</ref>

=== Other targets and activities ===
In addition to killing Israeli civilians and armed forces, Hamas has also attacked suspected Palestinian ]s, and ] rivals.<ref> (Toronto Star) October 1, 2006</ref>

On February 2007, members of the ], speaking on conditions on anonymity, said that Hamas had confiscated their humanitarian supply convoys that were destined for Palestinian civilians. Hamas claims the supplies were heading to former members of Fatah.{{Fact|date=October 2008}}

] has cited a number of summary executions as particular examples of violations of the rules of warfare, including the case of Muhammad Swairki, 28, a cook for Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's presidential guard, who was thrown to his death, with his hands and legs tied, from a 15-story apartment building in Gaza City.<ref>, ], June 13, 2007.</ref>

Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups frequently extra judicially execute or otherwise punish those they consider collaborators with Israel. Frequent killings of unarmed people have also occurred during Hamas-Fatah clashes.<ref></ref><ref></ref>

Thousands of angry Hamas loyalists marched on 24 February 2008 at the funeral of a ] preacher who died in ] custody, turning the ceremony into a rare show of defiance against President ].<ref></ref>

== International perception of Hamas ==
According to ], a non-commercial broadcasting organization in the U.S., "Israel and many Western powers have struggled with how best to interact with a group that is at once labeled terrorist and, at the same time, is the legitimately elected leadership of the Palestinian National Authority."<ref>. ''NPR.org''. December 6, 2006.</ref> ] describes Hamas as a "a radical Sunni Muslim terrorist organization".<ref name="psepc-Safe" /><ref>"Hamas is listed as a terrorist group in the Criminal Code of Canada." Tibbetts, Janice. ,'']'', March 30, 2006.</ref> The ] lists Hamas among its list of entities against which it applies restrictions in order to combat terrorism.<ref name="EUTerrorList">{{cite web| title=COUNCIL DECISION of 21 December 2005| url=http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2005/l_340/l_34020051223en00640066.pdf| publisher=]|date=2005-12-21| quote=implementing Article 2(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism and repealing Decision 2005/848/EC ... Hamas (including Hamas-Izz al-Din al-Qassem)|format=PDF}}</ref> ]'s ministry of foreign affairs claims that "Hamas maintains a terrorist infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank, and acts to carry out terrorist attacks in the territories and Israel."<ref>, 2003-07-30</ref> In February 2008 an ] poll indicated that 64% of Israelis favour their government holding direct talks with Hamas in Gaza about a cease-fire and the release of captives.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/958473.html|title=Poll: Most Israelis back direct talks with Hamas on Shalit|author=Yossi Verter|publisher=]|date=2008-02-27|accessdate=2008-02-27}}</ref> ] stated in 2005 that it froze the assets of "terrorist organizations, including... Hamas."<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/other/bluebook/2005/ch3-a.pdf| title=Japan's Diplomatic Bluebook 2005| |year=2005| quote=Japan has implemented UN Security Council resolutions concerning anti-terrorist sanctions. In accordance with the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law, it has frozen the assets of a total of 472 terrorists and terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaeda and ] members, such as Usama bin Laden and Mullah Mohammed Omar, as well as those of Hamas, ...|accessdate=2008-01-26|format=PDF}}</ref> ] has banned Hamas.<ref name="Star1" /> ] was the first Western country to recognize the 2007 Palestinian government consisting of both Hamas and Fatah, and Norwegian officials have met with Hamas representatives on several occasions. "We know that the USA and the EU have legal obligations since they have Hamas on their terrorist list. We must be able to take an independent decision about contact," Norwegian foreign minister ] responded to a 2006 United States' attempt to dissuade Norwegian contact with Hamas.
<ref>{{cite news |title=Norway turns down US request over Hamas representatives' visit |url=http://english.people.com.cn/200604/25/eng20060425_260826.html |publisher=Peoples Daily China |date=2006-04-25 |accessdate=2008-07-19}}</ref> The ] lists HAMAS as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization".<ref name=SD1>{{cite web| title=Country reports on terrorism| url=http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/45394.htm| date=2005-05-27| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20050511025028/http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/45394.htm| archivedate=2005-05-11| publisher=U.S. State Dept.| accessdate=2008-01.26}}</ref> The military wing of Hamas, the ], is listed as a terrorist organization by ],<ref name="NSF-Australia-terrorlist" /> and the ].<ref name="UKTerrorList"> </ref> In a 2007 ] Global Attitudes Survey, 62% of Palestinians have a favorable opinion of Hamas, as do majorities or pluralities in Jordan and Morocco. Opinions of Hamas are divided in Egypt and Kuwait, and Hamas is viewed negatively in Turkey and Lebanon.<ref name=pew2007>] Global Attitues Survey: , June 27, 2007</ref>

== Legal action against Hamas ==
In a 2002 report, ] stated that Hamas' leaders "should be held accountable for the ]s and ]" that have been committed by its members.<ref name="hrw.org-bombing" />

In 2004, a federal court in the United States found Hamas liable in a civil lawsuit for the 1996 murders of Yaron and Efrat Ungar near ], ]. Hamas has been ordered to pay the families of the Ungars $116 million.<ref> The Boston Globe</ref> On 5 July 2004, the court issued a default judgment against the ] and the ] regarding the Ungars' claim that the Palestinian Authority and the PLO provide safe haven to Hamas.

On 20 August 2004, three Palestinians, one a naturalized American citizen, were charged with a "lengthy racketeering conspiracy to provide money for ] acts in Israel." The indicted include ], senior member of Hamas, believed to be currently in ], ] and considered a ] by the U.S..

On 1 February 2007, two men were acquitted of contravening US law by supporting Hamas.<ref></ref> Both men argued that they helped move money for Palestinian causes aimed at helping the Palestinian people and not to promote terrorism.



== See also ==
{{commons|Category:Hamas|Hamas}}
{{wikisource|Hamas Covenant}}
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ] (Military Wing of Hamas)
* ] (Hamas' web site for children)
* ]

== Sources ==
*
* {{cite web |url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070424/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians |title=Hamas militants fire rockets at Israel |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070507074247/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070424/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians |archivedate=2007-05-07}}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
*{{Dead link|date=July 2008}}
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* Analysis by the (Dec 05)
* Analysis by the (Dec 07)
* published by the
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*{{Dead link|date=July 2008}}
*. {{ar icon}}
* by Khaled Hroub, '']'', issue 140, Summer 2006
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* Mideast news from the Hamas point of view. In English.
* at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Israel
*{{cite web |url=http://www1.idf.il/DOVER/site/mainpage.asp?sl=EN&id=7&docid=30286.EN |title= The Hamas organization is responsible for more than 425 terror attacks in Israel from November 6, 2000 to April 17, 2004] at ] official website.|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070625114605/http://www1.idf.il/DOVER/site/mainpage.asp?sl=EN&id=7&docid=30286.EN |archivedate=2007-06-25}}
* a letter to the editor of the London Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat. October 8, 2002
* and at ]
* at '']''
* by Diane West at ''The Jewish World Review'', April 22, 2005
* by ]. Published in '']'' on May 3, 2005
*, October 12, 2005
* by Emanuele Ottolenghi in '']'', January 26, 2006
* by Kevin Simpson on ] Website, January 29, 2006
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* by ]. ('']'', p. B07. February 5, 2006)
*{{PDFlink||557&nbsp;KB}} February 2006
* ] Briefing, March 2006
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* by Khaled Abu Toameh, ''Jerusalem Post'', January 25, 2007
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* fact file in ]
{{Palestinian political parties}}
{{Islamism}}
{{Israeli-Palestinian Conflict}}

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Revision as of 01:55, 1 January 2009

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