Hamas
Guide Note
Hamas is a Palestinian, Sunni Islamist, organization that has, since January, 2006, formed the majority party of the Palestinian National Authority. The group was founded in Gaza in 1987 in the lead up to the declaration of the First Intifada. The group is officially considered a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom, and Australia, among others. The European Union considers Hamas a group "involved in terrorist attacks." On March 28, 2008 the group called for a Saudi Arabia led coalition of Arab nations to drop peace talks with Israel and pursue armed battle instead. The peace plan, which requires Israel to return lands it occupied after the Six Day War and settle on a solution for the Palestinian Refugee crisis, was met with unprecedented, albeit tentative, favor from Israel.
Fast Facts
- Created: 1987
- Hamas is an acronym from "Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya"
- It translates to "Islamic Resistance Movement"
- As a single Arabic word rather than an acronym, "Hamas" means "zeal"
- Founded by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin of the Gaza wing of the Muslim Brotherhood
- Listed as a terrorist organization by, among others, the United Kingdom, Israel and the U.S.
Also try: Fatah | Fatah-Hamas Conflict | Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
The Mahalo Top 7
- Wikipedia: Hamas
- Council on Foreign Relations: Backgrounder: Hamas
- Jewish Virtual Library: Hamas Overview
- Haaretz: Ten Ways Israel Keeps Hamas Afloat (March 28, 2008)
- Economist: Hamas's Battle for Hearts and Minds (March 27, 2008)
- International Crisis Group: After Mecca: Engaging with Hamas (2007)
- YouTube Video: The Heartland of Hamas (Time: 23:12)
Hamas Recent News
- BBC News: Hamas
- Reuters: Hamas Urges Arabs to Back Reconciliation Push (March 28, 2008)
- Reuters: Israeli Troops Kill Hamas Gunman in Gaza (March 28, 2008)
- International Herald Tribune: Hamas Calls on Arab Summit to Drop Peace Plan... (March 28, 2008)
- Agence France-Presse: Hamas, Islamic Jihad Reject Egypt Truce (March 27, 2008)
- Jerusalem Post: Palestinian Affairs: Abbas's Latest Headaches (March 27, 2008)
- BBC News: Hamas urges EU to pressure Israel (February 22, 2008)
- Al Jazeera: Uk Boycott Of Hamas Criticised (August 13, 2007)
- Al Jazeera: Hamas-Fatah Truce Breaks Down (2007)
- CNN: Russia downgrades ties with Hamas (July 31, 2007)
- Jerusalem Post: Abbas Accuses Hamas of Staging a 'Bloody Coup' (2007)
- Telegraph: Hamas 'Preparing for a Full Scale Assault' (2007)
Hamas Background and Articles
- Anti-Defamation League: Hamas Fact Sheet
- Encyclopedia of the Orient: Hamas Description
- Discover the Networks: Hamas Overview
- Washington Post : "What Is Hamas?"
- BBC News: Who are Hamas?
- Salon: Who is the Real Hamas? (2006)
- BBC NEWS: Interview with Khaled Meshaal
Hamas Charter
- Avalon Project: Hamas Covenant/Charter (1988)
- Palestine Center: The Charter of the Hamas
- Wikisource: Hamas Covenant
Hamas and Electoral Success
- Wikipedia: Palestinian Presidential Election, 2005
- Washington Post: "Hamas Sweeps Palestinian Elections, Complicating Peace Efforts in Mideast (2006)
- Socialist World: Political Earthquake Strikes as Hamas Wins Landslide (2006)
- The Nation: "The Hamas Triumph" (2006)
- Slate: "Fatah No Más, Hola Hamas" (2006)
Conflict Between Hamas and Fatah
- Mahalo's page on Fatah-Hamas Conflict
- The Nation: Uneasy Calm in Palestine (2006)
- Guardian Unlimited: Q and A: Gaza's Civil War
- Times Online: Q&A: Hamas and the Violence in Gaza
- Mahalo's page on Fatah
Suicide Bombing and Violence
- Wikipedia: List of Hamas Suicide Attacks
Hamas Videos and Media
- YouTube: Hamas Mickey Mouse Teaches Terror to Kids
- BBC Videos and Audio: "Hamas"
- NPR Audio: Hamas: Government or Terrorist Organization? (2006)
- YouTube: Hamas - Stages of Israel's Destruction
- Yahoo! Image Search: Hamas
- Google Image Search: Hamas
Hamas Commentary and Criticism
- United States Institute of Peace: A Hamas Government: Isolate or Engage?
- Foreign Affairs: Can Hamas Be Tamed?
- Slate: Testing the "Pothole Theory" in the Middle East and What Hamas' Election Victory Means (2006)
- Middle East Quarterly: The Challenge of Hamas to Fatah (2003)
Hamas Blogs and Message Boards
- The Huffington Post: Hamas coverage
- Power Line: Better an Unmanned Drone than Hamas
- Hot Air: Hamas Savages Insist: Mickey Maus Show Must Go On
- Cartoon Brew: Why? Because We Hate You!
Hamas Timeline
- 1987: Founded by members of the Muslim Brotherhood based in Gaza
- 1987-1993: First Intifada
- 1994: Palestinian National Authority established
- 2004, November: Death of Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
- 2005: Israel withdraws completely from the Gaza Strip
- 2006, January: Hamas wins elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council
- 2007: Hamas begins takeover of Gaza
Related Searches
Fatah | Fatah-Hamas Conflict | Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | Israel Gaza Incursion (December 2007) | The West Bank | Gaza Strip | Israel-Lebanon Conflict | Hezbollah | Mahmoud Abbas | Shimon Peres | Ehud Olmert | Terrorism | Palestine Liberation Organization | Mahmoud Zahar | Hussam Zahar
