Who are Hamas terrorists? What is the reason for the attack against Israel?

Hamas militants have launched an unprecedented attack on Israel. They are brutalizing civilians by killing them and holding them hostage. Who are Hamas terrorists? What is their history and purpose? Who is supporting them?

Hamas militants have come to the fore again after massive terror attacks on Israeli cities and heavy counter-attacks by Israel. The terrorist organization of Palestine has fired more than 5 thousand rockets at Israel at once. Israel's powerful air defense system has disabled Iron Dome. Who are Hamas terrorists? What is their history, ideology and demands?

How did Hamas begin?

Hamas was founded in 1987 by Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz Al Rantissi as an offshoot of the Egyptian Brotherhood. Hamas is an extended form of Harakat al-Muqawah al-Islamiyyah. That is the Islamic Resistance Movement. Hamas means enthusiasm. In 1988, the Hamas Covenant was released. It stated that its goal was the liberation of Palestine and the establishment of an Islamic state comprising Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

The group later said it would agree to a cease-fire if Israel accepted pre-1967 border status, provided reparations and agreed to the return of Palestinian refugees. It also announced that it would sever ties with the Muslim Brotherhood. But Israel rejected Hamas' demand, accusing it of trying to fool the world.

Who supports the Hamas organization?

Hamas has a cultural unit, the Dawah, and a military unit, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Hamas is supported by Iran. It is also part of a coalition that includes the Islamic organization Hezbollah in Iran, Syria and Lebanon. All the members of this coalition are opposed to US policy in the region.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said that the Hamas attack on Israel was proof of the confidence of the Palestinian people, the report said. Hamas has supporters inside Palestine and elsewhere in the Middle East. In this regard, Iran, Syria and Yemen countries have supported Hamas regarding the attack.

He has been described as 'proud' and 'heroic'. Qatar claims that Israel is responsible for this situation. The Arab League and Jordan have also condemned Israel's policies and blamed them for the current conflict. Egypt, Morocco and Saudi Arabia have called for restraint. Israel, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Egypt and Japan have declared Hamas a global terrorist organization.

Hamas Vs Fatah?

The rise of Hamas is a direct confrontation in Palestinian politics with Fatah, founded and led by Yasser Arafat. Founded in 1990 as a paramilitary organization, Fatah later abandoned its armed struggle. It supported the United Nations Security Council resolution to create a Palestinian state in line with the 1967 border agreement with Israel.

But the death of Yasser Arafat in 2004 created a vacuum and Hamas grew even stronger. In 2007, the organization took control of the Gaza Strip after a civil war with Fatah. Fatah kept the West Bank under its control. While Hamas calls itself Islamist, Fatah advocates secularism.

Both groups have different positions on Israel. Hamas has not considered Israel. While Hamas is emphasizing armed struggle, Fatah is pushing for a negotiated path. Both these forces have been engaged in continuous conflicts for the past two decades. Many agreements for conflict resolution have broken down. The latest conflict is Hamas' boycott of the 2021-22 Palestinian local elections. Fatah is led by Palestinian State President Mahmoud Abbas.

What is the Gaza Strip?

Hamas militants have a strong base in the Gaza Strip and have started attacking Israel from there. The Gaza Strip is a 41 km long, 10 km wide area between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. It has about 23 lakh people and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

Israel has control over Gaza's airspace and coastline. It imposes restrictions on who and what goods are allowed to enter and exit its border crossings. Similarly, Egypt controls people and goods entering its borders from Gaza. 80% of Gazans depend on international aid. About 10 lakh people need daily food assistance, according to the United Nations.