The name Hamas is an abbreviation of the Arabic words for Islamic Resistance Movement. It is both a political party and a political movement operating in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory.
The movement was formed in December 1987 under the leadership of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin at the beginning of the first intifada, or Palestinian uprising, against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the founding document of the Hamas party, its main goal is the destruction of Israel and the creation of a theocratic Islamist state on the territory from the Jordan River to the Red Sea. In addition to this main goal, there is also an immediate one - the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.
The peaceful wing of the organization has been involved in charity work for some time, creating networks of hospitals, schools, kindergartens and the Islamic University with the money of sympathizers. The militant wing carried out terrorist attacks against Israelis and Palestinians who were loyal to the Israeli administration.
Hamas became the main opponent of the Oslo peace agreement in 1993, when agreements were reached on the introduction of self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank of Jordan for 5 years in exchange for Palestinian guarantees to protect Israel's security.
The organization launched a series of suicide bombings against Israeli civilians to stop the peace process. The result was the rise in popularity in Israel of the conservative Netanyahu, who also opposed the Oslo accords. As a result, this politician took over as prime minister of Israel. The tightening of policy towards the Palestinian Authority led, in turn, to an increase in Hamas's popularity among the Palestinians.
In 2006, Hamas won the parliamentary elections in Palestine. His rival was the more moderate Fatah party, which abandoned terrorist methods of struggle for independence. Its leader, Mahmoud Abbas, constantly accused Hamas that the movement by its actions provokes Israel to tighten the regime and complicates the life of ordinary Palestinians. After winning the elections, Hamas had additional opportunities to fight Fatah. In 2007, a military conflict broke out between Hamas and Fatah, as a result of which Hamas retained control of the Gaza Strip, and Fatah controlled the rest of the Palestinian Authority.
The Hamas leadership confirmed that its main goal remains the destruction of Israel as a state, and refused to recognize all the agreements concluded with this country. In response, many of the states that financed the autonomy declared an economic boycott of the Gaza Strip.
In late 2008, Israel announced the launch of Operation Cast Lead against Hamas, in response to repeated shelling from the Gaza Strip. International observers, human rights activists and doctors from the Red Cross noted cases of terrorists confiscating humanitarian aid sent to the population. Hamas activists prohibited wounded Palestinians from seeking help at a field hospital deployed by Israel near the Erez checkpoint. 64 ambulances - a gift from the Arab states - were confiscated by Hamas and used as military equipment. Terrorists also used military action to settle accounts with Fatah - several dozen of its members were killed and injured.
In the Gaza Strip, a network of cells of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda is being created, with which Hamas also did not have a good relationship: al-Qaeda considers Hamas a soft and cowardly organization that attaches too much importance to the opinion of the West.
