EXPLAINER: What Is Hamas? Origins, Power Struggle, and Role in the Israel-Gaza Conflict

Formally known as the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas was founded in 1987 during the first Palestinian Intifada, or uprising, against Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Emerging from the Muslim Brotherhood, it combines political activism with armed resistance. The group is designated a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, the European Union, Britain, Canada, and Japan, though it frames its armed operations as resistance against occupation.

A political turning point came in 2006, when Hamas, running under the name 'Change and Reform', won the Palestinian parliamentary elections, defeating the dominant Fatah movement.

The following year, after clashes with Fatah forces, Hamas seized full control of the Gaza Strip, splitting Palestinian governance between Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

Since then, Gaza has faced a strict Israeli and Egyptian blockade. Its population of more than two million has endured multiple wars in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021 causing widespread destruction and thousands of casualties.

The largest escalation in recent history occurred on 7 October, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise and deadly attack inside Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages. The ensuing Israel-Hamas war has led to heavy Israeli bombardment in Gaza, where local authorities report more than 65,000 Palestinian deaths and widespread famine.

Hamas’ armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, has carried out rocket attacks, suicide bombings, and other operations.

Israel has targeted and killed several top Hamas figures, including Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh.

Hamas remains both a militant organisation and a political authority in Gaza, shaping the ongoing conflict with Israel.

To Palestinians, it can represent armed resistance, but to much of the international community, it is seen as a group responsible for violence and instability.

Hamas seeks the recognition of Palestinian claims over historic Palestine. The group maintains that any ceasefire or negotiation must address prisoner releases, Israeli border crossings, and the lifting of blockades, and it frames these demands as non-negotiable for long-term peace.

A deal between Israel and Hamas could provide temporary ceasefires, humanitarian access, and the release of hostages, potentially easing immediate suffering in Gaza.

However, experts warn that unless it addresses core political disputes, governance divisions, and security concerns, a deal may be fragile and fail to stop future escalations, leaving the broader Israel-Palestine conflict unresolved.

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