Hamas

Hamas
Leader	Khaled Mashaal, Ismail Haniyah, Mahmoud Zahar
Founder	Sheikh Ahmed Yassin
Founded	1987
Headquarters	Gaza
Ideology	Islamic democracy
Website
www.palestine-info.com www.filistinetkinlik.com

Hamas (حركة حماس; acronym: حركة المقاومة الاسلامية, or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Islamist militant organization and political party. In January 2006, Hamas was elected as the parliament of the Palestinian Authority.

Hamas was created in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin of the Gaza wing of the Muslim Brotherhood at the beginning of the First Intifada. Hamas is responsible for multiple suicide bombings and other attacks directed against civilians and Israeli military and security forces targets, Hamas' charter (written in 1988 and still in effect) calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and its replacement with a Palestinian Islamic state in the area that is now Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. The organization is widely described as antisemitic.

Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by Canada, Israel, Japan, and the United States, and is banned in Jordan. Australia and the United Kingdom list only the militant wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, as a terrorist organization. The European Union lists Hamas as a group 'involved in terrorist attacks' and has implemented restrictive measures against Hamas.

Since the death of Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat, Hamas's political wing has entered and won many local elections in Gaza, Qalqilya, and Nablus. In January 2006, Hamas won a surprise victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections, taking 76 of the 132 seats in the chamber, while the ruling Fatah party took 43. The Hamas charter states: "There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad," and this stance has found a receptive audience among Palestinians; many perceived the preceding Fatah government as corrupt and ineffective, and Hamas's supporters see it as an "armed resistance" movement defending Palestinians from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Hamas has further gained popularity by establishing hospitals, education systems, libraries and social services throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Palestinian territories have experienced internal conflicts for many years; since Hamas's election victory, particularly sharp infighting has occurred between Hamas and Fatah, leading to many Palestinian deaths.

After coming to power, Hamas announced it was giving up suicide attacks and "offered a 10-year truce [with Israel] in return for a complete Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories: the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem." Hamas also declared a unilateral ceasefire with Israel which, after Israeli air strikes in response to Hamas smuggling weapons into Gaza, was formally renounced.

Following the Battle for Gaza in June 2007, when Hamas used force to take control of the Gaza Strip after Fatah refused to hand over control to the new government, elected Hamas officials were ousted from their positions in the Palestinian National Authority government in the West Bank and were replaced by rival Fatah members as well as independents. On June 18, 2007, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Fatah) issued a decree outlawing the Hamas militia and executive force.[1][2]

According to the US State Department, the group is funded by Iran, Palestinian expatriates, and private benefactors in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states.

Name

Some disagreement exists over the meaning of the word "Hamas" itself. Hamas is an acronym of the Arabic phrase حركة المقاومة الاسلامية, or Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya or "Islamic Resistance Movement". Ami Isseroff on MidEast web states that the acronym is also the Arabic word for "zeal". Hamas's charter itself on MidEast web states: "Hamas (means) strength and bravery - (according to) Al-Mua'jam al-Wasit".

The military wing of Hamas, formed in 1992, is known as the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades to commemorate Sheikh Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, the father of modern Arab resistance, 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", to commemorate Yahya Ayyash, an early Hamas bomb-maker killed in 1996.

History

Main article: History of Hamas

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin founded Hamas in 1987 as an offshoot of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. The acronym "Hamas" first appeared in 1987 in a leaflet that accused the Israeli intelligence services of undermining the moral fiber of Palestinian youth as part of Mossad's recruitment of what Hamas termed "collaborators". The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military branch, was created in 1992, a year before the Oslo Accords.

Hamas' charter (written in 1988 and still in effect) calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and its replacement with a Palestinian Islamic state in the area that is now Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. During the 1990s and 2000s it became best known in the Western world for its suicide bombings and other attacks directed against civilians, including the Dolphinarium massacre and the Passover massacre.

On January 26 2004, senior Hamas official Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi offered a 10-year truce, or hudna, in return for a complete withdrawal by Israel from the territories captured in the Six Day War, and the establishment of a Palestinian state (it remade the same offer after winning the majority in the PLC, accepting the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative). Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin stated that the group could accept a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 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." He said the truce could last 10 years, though "not more than 10 years".

From the time of an attack on the Israeli southern town of Be'er Sheva in August 2004, in which 15 people were killed and 125 wounded, the truce was generally observed. Hamas violated once, in August 2005, with an attack on the same bus station, wounding seven, and in several attacks on Israeli motorists — killing six in several attacks.

While Hamas had boycotted the January 2005 presidential election, during which Mahmoud Abbas was elected to replace Yasser Arafat, it did participate in the municipal elections held between January and May 2005, in which it took control of Beit Lahia and Rafah in the Gaza Strip and Qalqilyah in the West Bank. The January 2006 legislative elections marked another victory for Hamas, which gained the majority of seats in the first fair and democratic elections held in Palestine, defeating the ruling Fatah party. The "List of Change and Reform", as Hamas presented itself, obtained 42.9% of the vote and 74 of the 132 seats.

Although 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 Jerusalem." On February 8, Hamas head Khaled Mashal speaking in Cairo 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.

On February 13, 2006, in an interview in Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta, the same Khaled Mashal declared that Hamas would stop armed struggle against Israel if it recognized the 1967 borders, withdrew itself from all Palestinian occupied territories (including the West Bank and East Jerusalem) and recognized Palestinian rights that would include the "right of return". Mashal would not acknowledge the Road map for peace, 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". The Road map projected the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in 2005.

In May 2006, during demonstrations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in support of Hamas and agains 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. Furthermore, Hamas took a flexible stance that renewed support for the 2002 Arab peace initiative offering to restore normal relations with Israel in exchange for the creation of a Palestinian state.

After the formation of the Hamas cabinet on March 20, 2006, tensions have progressively risen in the Gaza strip between Fatah and Hamas militants, leading to demonstrations and violence, along with repeated attempts at a truce.

On June 27, 2006 Hamas and Fatah reached an agreement which included the forming of a national unity government. On February 8, 2007, Hamas and Fatah signed a deal to end factional warfare 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.

The events leading to the 2006 Israel-Gaza conflict began on June 9, 2006. An Israeli operation, an explosion occurred on a busy Gaza beach, killing eight Palestinian civilians. 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 ceasefire on June 10, taking responsibility for the subsequent Qassam rocket attacks launched from Gaza into Israel.[3]

On June 29, Israel captured 64 Hamas officials. Amongst them were eight Palestinian Authority cabinet ministers and up to twenty members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, as well as heads of regional councils, and the mayor of Qalqilyah 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' Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Aziz Dweik, at his home in the West Bank.

In June, renewed fighting broke out between Hamas and Fatah. As of June 14, 2007, the current Palestinian government has been dissolved. President Mahmoud Abbas has dismissed the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government. [4].

There was a brief war in which Hamas seized control of Gaza and the Palestinian Authority was effectively split in two: Hamas controlling of Gaza and Fatah controlling the West Bank. It is reported that violence continued as of June 16th, 2007.

Beliefs

A flag, with the Shahadah, frequently used by Hamas supporters

Founded in 1987, Hamas was the Gaza Strip affiliate of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement founded in Egypt.

Hamas, whose members largely come from the squalid refugee camps of Gaza from persons displaced from Israel's 1948 war of independence, has been far less accomodating with the occupation than has their competitor Fatah, with one Hamas parliamentarian denouncing the 1993 Oslo Accords as "not a peace process" and "a process of deception and cheating, lies which enabled Israel to truncate our homeland with settlements, separation walls, roadblocks, and closed military zones." In 2004 Hamas offered a 10-year truce, or hudna, in exchange for several conditions including a complete withdrawal from Israeli-occupied territories (see below) this call was also mentioned in an interview with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Foreign Policy Magazine, Meshaal stated that

"Hamas is prepared to offer a hudna [broad cease-fire] to Israel if it [Israel] withdraws from the lands occupied in 1967 and respects all the Palestinian rights."

Hamas considers all of pre-1948 Palestine to be the Palestinian homeland. This includes present-day State of Israel — as well as the Gaza Strip and the West Bank — as an inalienable Islamic waqf or religious bequest, which can never be surrendered to non-Muslims. It asserts that struggle (jihad) to regain control of the land from Israel is the religious duty of every Muslim (fard `ain). Although it should be noted that a sizable minority of Palestinians are Christian and live in peace with their Hamas neighbors.

Hamas does not recognize Israel as a sovereign state because it was formed by ethnically cleansing the native Palestinian population, unlike the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which has recognized it since 1988, and calls it the "Zionist entity". Its charter calls for an end to Israel. During the election campaign, Hamas did not mention its call for the destruction of Israel in its electoral manifesto. But several Hamas candidates insist that the charter is still in force and often called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" in campaign speeches. On January 25, 2006, after winning the Palestinian elections, Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar gave an interview to Al-Manar TV denouncing foreign demands that Hamas recognize Israel's right to exist. 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".

Hamas's charter calls for the eventual creation of an Islamic Republic in thier historic homeland of Palesetine, in place of Israel. Hamas sees this view as an Islamic religious duty and prophesy that comes directly from Hadith. In 1999, late Hamas co-founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin mentioned the year 2027 as the possible date for the "disappearance" of Israel. 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. Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, one of its co-founders, stated that the movement's goal is "to remove Israel from the map". On February 13, 2005, Hamas leader Khaled Mashal declared that Hamas would stop armed struggle against Israel if Israel recognized the 1967 borders, withdrew from all Palestinian territories and accept the demand for Palestinian "Right of Return" (see below).

According to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Hamas views the Arab-Israeli conflict as "a religious struggle between Islam and Judaism that can only be resolved by the destruction of the State of Israel".. However, given that Muslim and Christian Palestinians have lived side by side for centuries in peace, the national aspirations of the people to regain their homeland must be considered also. Hamas uses both political activities and violence to pursue its goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in place of Israel and the secular Palestinian Authority. Israeli military operations during the al-Aqsa Intifada in 2002 put pressure on Hamas in the West Bank following several bombings in Israel for which Hamas claimed responsibility. Hamas has also engaged in peaceful political activities, including running candidates in West Bank Chamber of commerce elections.

During the election campaign the organization toned down criticism of Israel in its election manifesto, stating only that it was prepared to use "armed resistance to end the occupation".

The slogan of Hamas is "God is its target, the Prophet is its model, the Qur'an its constitution: 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 Waqf (trust) consecrated for future Muslim generations until Judgement Day," and as such, the land cannot be negotiated away by any political leader. Hamas rejects "so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences" as "in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement", stating "there is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad".

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 Jerusalem." On February 8, Hamas head Khaled Mashal speaking in Cairo 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.

On February 13, 2006, in an interview in Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Mashal declared that Hamas would stop armed struggle against Israel if it recognized the 1967 borders, withdrew itself from all Palestinian occupied territories (including the West Bank and East Jerusalem) and recognized Palestinian rights that would include the "right of return". He reaffirmed this stance in a March 5, 2008 interview with Al Jazeera English, citing Hamas's signing of the 2005 Cairo Declaration and the National Reconciliation Document, and denied any rejectionist stance. Critics of this offer suggest that Israel would never accept the Palestinian refugees right of return, as it would create a demographic majority to Muslims in Israel, and thus cancel its Jewish nature. Hamas does not feel bound by the "Road Map to Peace" promoted by the Diplomatic Quartet, since in its view Israel is not abiding by it. Hamas rejects the establishment of a "Palestinian entity [...] with no true sovereignty, whose principal duty is to maintain Israel's security."

Islam

Like the Muslim Brotherhood, which Hamas branched off from, Hamas believes the rules of Islam, or the Shariah to be a sufficient guide for all areas of life. Since Hamas sees Islam as a sufficient guide for all areas in life, and as a way of life, it, as the Covenant of Hamas says, tries to make Islam its base for all of its effort.

The Covenant of Hamas

See also: wikisource:Hamas Covenant

The 1988 Hamas Covenant (or Charter) states that the organization's goal is to "raise the banner of God over every inch of Palestine," in order to establish an Islamic Republic.

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.

The Covenant 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 coexistence principle of the peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Antisemitism

The Hamas Covenant cites The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which claims the existance of a "Zionist plan" for "limitless" territorial expansion:

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 Nile to the Euphrates. 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.

Other articles of the Hamas Covenant refer to fighting the Jews, for example article 7 of the covenant says

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said: "The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." (related by al-Bukhari and Moslem).

In 1998, Esther Webman of the Project for the Study of Anti-Semitism at the Tel Aviv Universitywrote:

....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."

According to Meir Litvak's 2003 study,

"In Hamas' literature, antisemitism became almost dominant. Earlier antisemitic motifs are developed time and again in their magazine Falastin al-Muslama. Almost every issue contains anti-Jewish articles using elements from the Islamic tradition. Judaism is presented as a religion based on lies, which from its origin called for aggression against others and their exploitation."

In an editorial in The Guardian in January 2006, Khaled Meshaal, the chief of Hamas's political bureau denied antisemitism:

"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 people of the book" who have a covenant from God and his messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him), to be respected and protected."

"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."

Activities

Provision of social welfare and education

Hamas is particularly popular among Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, though it also has a following in the West Bank, 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 welfare and social services to Palestinians in the occupied territories, 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 Reuven Paz "approximately 90 percent of the organization's work is in social, welfare, cultural, and educational activities".

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. 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. 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.

In any case, Hamas has significantly increased literacy in areas where it is active. Hamas also funds a number of other charitable activities, primarily in the Gaza Strip. These include religious institutions, medical facilities, and social needs of the area's residents. The work of Hamas in these fields supplements that provided by the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA). Hamas is also well regarded by Palestinians for its efficiency and perceived lack of corruption compared to Fatah.

Funding

The majority of Hamas funding comes from Saudi Arabia. According to the U.S. State Dept, Hamas is funded by Iran (led by a Shi'i Islamic regime), Palestinian expatriates, and private benefactors in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states. The party is known to support families of suicide bombers after their deaths. Some believe the financial support includes a monthly allowance. Various sources, among them United Press International, Le Canard enchaîné, Bill Baar, Gérard Chaliand and L'Humanité have highlighted that Hamas' early growth had been supported by the Mossad as a "counterbalance to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)". Furthermore, the French investigative newspaper Le Canard enchaîné stated that Shin Bet 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 "clash of civilizations".

The charitable trust Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development was accused in December 2001 of funding Hamas.

Other

The main website of Hamas provides translations of official communiqués in Persian language, Urdu, Malay, Russian, English, and Arabic.

In 2005, Hamas announced its intention to launch an experimental TV channel, "Al-Aqsa". The station was launched on January 7, 2006, less than three weeks before the Palestinian legislative elections. It included a TV show for children.

Controversies

Children's web site

Al Fateh is Hamas' web site for children. According to The Museum of Harmony and Golden Section, "Al-Fateh" means "first". According to Our Jerusalem, it means "conqueror". The site says it is for "the young builders of the future 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

According to CAMERA "Issue number 38 of Al-Fateh, includes a photograph of the decapitated head of a female suicide bomber. The caption reads "Zaynab Abu Salem who carried out the suicide bombing attack. Her head was severed from her pure body and her headscarf remained to decorate her face. Your place is in heaven in the upper sky, Zaynab ... sister [raised to the status of heroic] men." Abu Salem had killed two Israeli border policemen and wounded 17."

"Mickey Mouse" children's program controversy

Farfur, in an episode of the series Tomorrow's Pioneers, mimes carrying a rifle while teaching young viewers about such topics as "Resistance Jihad."

In April 2007 Hamas-affiliated al-Aqsa channel used a Mickey Mouse lookalike on a children's program called Tomorrow's Pioneers which "critics said was spreading anti-US and anti-Israeli messages to children." The character, named "Farfour" and host Saraa taught children to seek Islamic leadership of the world and invited them to recite violent songs and poems about resistance.

Criticism has come from many quarters. Mark Regev, Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman, was outraged that "children are taught that killing Jews is a good thing." Basem Abu Sumaya, head of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation, stated "I don't think it's professional or even humane to use children in such harsh political programs."

Robert A. Iger, president & CEO of The Walt Disney Company, told a meeting of the Society of Business Editors and Writers at the Disneyland Hotel: "We were appalled by the use of our character to disseminate that kind of message, I think any time any group seeks to exploit children in that manner, it's despicable." Iger, in response to much criticism of Disney's silence about the subject added that he decided against making a public statement at the time because "I just didn't think it would have any effect. I think it should have been obvious how the company felt about the subject."

On May 9, at the request of the Palestinian Information Ministry, Hamas suspended the program. Information Minister Mustafa Barghouti said it was wrong to direct political messages at children and that "Any media outlet that breaks Palestinian broadcasting law will be penalized by the Information Ministry." But according to the British Daily Telegraph, a spokesman for the station, which is owned and run by Hamas, later announced that the program would continue and that to remove it would be a political surrender to Israel.

The program then returned to Palestinian TV, again garnering international attention when in an episode which aired on June 29, 2007, Farfour [the mouse] was shown being beaten to death by an Israeli who had tried to buy his land, and whom he labels a terrorist. The presenter Saraa said that he was "martyred defending his land", and was killed "by the killers of children". The program has since returned to regular broadcast, with Farfour replaced by a new character, Nahoul the Bumblebee.

On 24/8/2007, News media reported the Hamas Al-Aqsa TV aired a 'Lion King' cartoon to portray the Hamas victory in the Gaza.

Crackdown on dissent and on the Press

Human rights groups and ordinary Gazans accuse Hamas of forcefully suppressing dissent. Hamas is using means which are criminal, including torture, political detentions, and firing on un-armed protesters who object Hamas policies.[5].

Hamas members have also been harassing and arresting Palestinian journalists in Gaza [6],[7]. 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. [8]

On August 28th, 2007 Hamas media workers slipped into an anti-Hamas rally with intentions to disperse it from within.[9]

On September 3rd, 2007 Hamas disbanded the Gaza Strip branch of the pro-Fatah Union of Palestinian Journalists. [10]

On September 7th, 2007 Hamas banned public prayers, after Fatah supporters began holding worship sessions that quickly escalated into raucous protests against Hamas rule. Hamas security forces beat several gathering supporters and journalists. [11]

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. [12], [13]

On Feb 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[14],[15]. Hamas had later issued an arrest request for the editor[16].

Militancy and terrorism

Suicide attacks

Suicide attacks are the main element of what the group sees as its asymmetric warfare against Israel. Since the group considers all Israel to be a "militarized society" Hamas condones attacks on civilian targets. The group's willingness to target civilian facilities including buses, supermarkets, and restaurants is the reason why some governments classify it as a terrorist movement (although Hamas claims being a national liberation movement).

Hamas' first use of suicide bombing 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 being shootings, kidnappings and knife attacks).

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

During the second Intifada, Hamas, along with the Islamic Jihad Movement, spearheaded the violence through the years of the Palestinian uprising. Since then Hamas has conducted many attacks on Israel, mainly through its military wing — the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. These attacks have included large-scale suicide bombings against Israeli civilian targets, the most deadly of which was the bombing of a Netanya hotel on March 27, 2002, in which 30 people were killed and 140 were wounded. This attack has also been referred to as the Passover massacre since it took place on the first night of the Jewish festival of Passover. Overall, from November 2000 to April 2004, 377 Israeli citizens and soldiers were killed and 2,076 wounded in 425 attacks by Hamas. (Source: IDF website.) The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains a comprehensive list of Hamas attacks. March 2004.htm

In a 2002 report, Human Rights Watch stated that Hamas' leaders "should be held accountable for the war crimes and crimes against humanity" that have been committed by its members.

A few female suicide bombers, including a mother of six and a mother of two children under the age of 10 have also executed suicide bombings. Abdel Aziz Rantisi has said,

"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."

In May 2006 Israel arrested Hamas top official Ibrahim Hamed whom Israeli security officials claim was responsible for dozens of suicide bombings and other attacks on Israelis.

On Feb 7, 2008 Hamas resumed the suicide bombings against civilian targets inside Israel killing an 74 year old woman and wounding her husband and other civilians[17],[18],[19],[20],[21]

On March 5, 2008 various news services reported that Hamas had claimed responsibility for the killing of 8 Yeshiva students in Jerusalem. A spokesman for Hamas has rebutted the claim, stating that it is "an honour we have not claimed yet", and the official position is that the attack has been attributed to the "Free Men of Galilee", who are affiliated with Hezbollah.

Shelling and rocket attacks on civilians

Since 2002, Hamas has used homemade Qassam rockets to hit Israeli towns in the Negev, such as Sderot. The introduction of the Qassam-2 rocket has allowed Hamas to reach large Israeli cities such as Ashkelon, bringing great concern to the Israeli populace and many attempts by the Israeli military to stop the proliferation and use of the rockets.

Guerilla warfare

File:Yasin RPG.gif

Two Hamas militants with Yasin Rocket-propelled grenade.

Hamas has made great use of guerrilla tactics in the Gaza Strip and to a lesser degree the West Bank. 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 Hezbollah in the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

Hamas has used IEDs and anti-tank rockets against the IDF in Gaza. The latter include standard RPG-7 warheads and home-made rockets such as the Al-Bana, Al-Batar and Al-Yasin. The home-made rockets proved ineffective against Israeli armor, while Popular Resistance Committees' IEDs destroyed 3 Israeli tanks in 2002. 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.

Others attacked

In addition to killing Israeli civilians, Hamas has also attacked Israeli military and security forces (occasionally inside Israel), suspected Palestinian collaborators, and Fatah rivals.

On February 2007, members of the Palestinian Red Crescent, 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.

Call to attack United States targets

On November 8, 2006 the military wing of Hamas called on Muslims around the world to attack American targets. "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 Associated Press. Ghazi Hamad, spokesman for the Hamas-led Palestinian government said that the group had no intention of attacking American targets and denied any involvement with the statement.

It has been alleged that Hamas threatens the United States through covert cells on U.S. soil, and that the FBI and United States Department of Justice are aware of these cells. Hamas has repeatedly stated that it is only interested in operations against the Israeli occupation and not a single suicide attack outside Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank has ever been attributed to Hamas.

Summary executions

Human Rights Watch 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. [22],[23],[24]

Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups frequently extrajudicially execute or otherwise punish those they consider collaborators with Israel. Frequent killings of unarmed people have also occurred during Hamas-Fatah clashes.[25],[26], [27],[28],[29]

2008 protests

Thousands of angry Hamas loyalists marched February 24 2008 at the funeral of a Muslim preacher who died in Palestinian custody, turning the ceremony into a rare show of defiance against President Mahmoud Abbas. Angered by preacher's death, protesters stand against Abbas.

International perception of Hamas

According to National Public Radio, 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."

Canada describes Hamas as a "a radical Sunni Muslim terrorist organization".

The European Union lists Hamas among its list of entities against which it applies restrictions in order to combat terrorism.

Israel'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." In February 2008 an Haaretz 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.

Japan stated in 2005 that it froze the assets of "terrorist organizations, including... Hamas."

The United States lists HAMAS as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization".

Jordan has banned Hamas.

The military wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, is listed as a terrorist organization by Australia, and the United Kingdom. According to the US State Department, the group is funded by Iran, Palestinian expatriates, and private benefactors in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states.

In a 2007 Pew 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.

Legal action against Hamas

In a 2002 report, Human Rights Watch stated that Hamas' leaders "should be held accountable for the war crimes and crimes against humanity" that have been committed by its members.

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 Bet Shemesh, Israel. Hamas has been ordered to pay the families of the Ungars $116 million. On July 5, 2004, the court issued a default judgment against the PNA and the PLO regarding the Ungars' claim that the Palestinian Authority and the PLO provide safe haven to Hamas.

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

On 1 February 2007, two men were acquitted of contravening US law by supporting Hamas.[30] Both men argued that they helped move money for Palestinian causes aimed at helping the Palestinian people and not to promote terrorism.

See also

• List of Hamas suicide attacks
• Palestinian territories
• Hamastan
• Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development
• Qassam rocket
• Members of Hamas called Qawasameh
• Palestinian political violence
• Islamic fundamentalism
• PLO and Hamas
• Muslim Brotherhood
• List of political parties in the Palestinian National Authority
• Human rights in the Palestinian National Authority
• Fatah-Hamas conflict
• Islam
• Jihad
• Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades (Military Wing of Hamas)

Sources

• Hawala. An Informal Payment System and Its Use to Finance Terrorism, Sebastian R. Müller (Dec. 2006), ISBN: ISBN-10: 3865506569, ISBN-13: 978-3865506566
• [31] Hamas militants fire rockets at Israel

External links

• Hamas Tv Live Broadcast
• Britannica
• Encarta
• "Hamas and the PLO: Hostile Takeover of a Shell Company" Analysis by the Reut Institute(Dec 05)
• Fatah Hamas Unity: End to Political Process or New Opportunity? Analysis by the Reut Institute (Dec 07)
• "The Growing Hamas-Al Qaeda Connection" published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
• "Understanding the Direction of the New Hamas Government: Between Tactical Pragmatism and Al-Qaeda Jihadism" published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
• "Hamas' Determination to Perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: The Critical Role of Hate Indoctrination" published by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
• Hamas Charter
• Hamas leaders explain their goal
• Who are Hamas (Al-Jazeera)
• Website for the study of the ideas of Hamas, not the official website. Template:Ar icon
• "A “New Hamas” through Its New Documents" by Khaled Hroub, Journal of Palestine Studies, issue 140, Summer 2006
• Hamas in its own words
• "The Palestinian Information Center" Mideast news from the Hamas point of view. In English.
• Hamas at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Israel
• The Hamas organization is responsible for more than 425 terror attacks in Israel from November 6, 2000 to April 17, 2004 at IDF official website.
• Suicide Bomber's Father: Let Hamas and Jihad Leaders Send Their Own Sons a letter to the editor of the London Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat. October 8, 2002
• Hamas Fact Sheet and Hamas in Their Own Words at ADL
• Frequently Asked Questions About Hamas at ABC News
• Springtime for Hamas by Diane West at The Jewish World Review, April 22, 2005
• Hamas vs. America by Daniel Pipes. Published in The New York Sun on May 3, 2005
• Hamas terrorist infrastructures in the regions of Hebron and Ramallah exposed by The Israel Security Agency, October 12, 2005
• Hamas Without Veils. No more hiding behind the PA by Emanuele Ottolenghi in National Review, January 26, 2006
• Political earthquake strikes as Hamas wins landslide by Kevin Simpson on CWI Website, January 29, 2006
• BBC: Hamas urges EU not to end funding
• The EU's new Palestine dilemma by Khaled Diab
• Checkmate: the Hamas victory
• Russia is Ready for Dialogue With HAMAS
• Give Hamas Nothing for Free by Dennis Ross. (The Washington Post, p. B07. February 5, 2006)
• Template:PDFlink February 2006
• A Hamas Government: Isolate or Engage? U.S. Institute of Peace Briefing, March 2006
• Living Conditions Poll after a couple of months of hamas in government
• Analysis: A year after elections, Hamas riding high by Khaled Abu Toameh, Jerusalem Post, January 25, 2007
• List and review of Hamas publications in the UK