Editing Hamas

{{Important}}
{{Evil Organization
|Box title = Evil Organization
|Image = 1280px-Flag of Hamas.svg.png
|fullname = Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamah al-ʾIslāmiyyah
|alias = Hamas
|origin = Palestine
|foundation = 1987
|headquarters = Gaza City, Gaza
|commanders = [[Ismail Haniyeh]]<br>[[Khaled Mashal]]<br>[[Yahya Sinwar]]
|agents = [[Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook]]<br>[[Mohammed Deif]]<br>[[Ahmed Jabari]]<br>[[Imad Abbas]]<br>[[Salah Shehade]]<br>[[Adnan al-Ghoul]]<br>[[Abdullah Barghouti]]
|skills = Military skills<br>Governing authority over the Gaza Strip
|goals = Become the sole governing power of Palestine (partially succeeded)<br>Have Israel effectively eliminated (continuously conspiring)<br>Slander Jews (ongoing)
|crimes = [[War crimes]]<br>Human rights violations<br>[[Crimes against humanity]]<br>[[Torture]]<br>[[Kidnapping]]<br>Oppression<br>Extrajudicial [[murder]]<br>[[Terrorism]]<br>[[Anti-Semitism]]<br>[[Homophobia]]<br>[[Holocaust denial]]<br>[[Blood Libel|Blood libel]]
|type of villains = Fanatic Extremists
|size = 
}}
{{Quote|Our plan for this stage is to liberate any inch of Palestinian land, and to establish a state on it. Our ultimate plan is to have Palestine in its entirety.|[[Mahmoud Al-Zahhar]] states the goal of Hamas, June 15, 2010}}
'''Hamas''' is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_Territories Palestinian] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunni Sunni] [[Militant Islam|militant Islamist]]<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-islamist.2Fislamic_5-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-islamist.2Fislamic-5 [5]]</sup> organization, with an associated military wing, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izz_ad-Din_al-Qassam_Brigades Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades], <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-6 [6]]</sup> located in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_territories Palestinian territories]. They have been the principal governing power of the Gaza Strip since 2007.

Hamas' stated goal is the abolishment of the State of Israel as well as the establishment of an Islamic state in the Palestinian territories. They are considered to be a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, and the European Union.

==Biography==
Hamas was founded in 1987 shortly after the outbreak of the [[First Intifada]] as an offshoot of the [[Muslim Brotherhood]]. Co-founder [[Sheikh Ahmed Yassin]] stated in 1987, and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas_Charter Hamas Charter] affirmed in 1988, that Hamas was founded to liberate Palestine from Israeli occupation and to establish an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_republic Islamic state] in the area that is now Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-18 [18]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-19 [19]]</sup> However, in July 2009, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaled_Meshal Khaled Meshal], Hamas's political bureau chief, said the organization was willing to cooperate with "a resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict which included a Palestinian state based on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_borders 1967 borders]", provided that Palestinian refugees hold the right to return to Israel and that East Jerusalem be the new nation's capital.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-20 [20]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-21">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-21 [21]]</sup>

Since June 2007 Hamas has governed the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_Strip Gaza Strip], after it won a majority of seats in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_Parliament Palestinian Parliament] in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_legislative_election,_2006 January 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections]<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-BBC-Hamas-who_7-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-BBC-Hamas-who-7 [7]]</sup> and then defeated the [[Fatah]] political organization in a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatah%E2%80%93Hamas_conflict#Conflict series of violent clashes]. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel Israel], the United States,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-SD1_8-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-SD1-8 [8]]</sup> Canada,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-9">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-9 [9]]</sup> the European Union,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-eu_10-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-eu-10 [10]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-11">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-11 [11]]</sup> and Japan classify Hamas as a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_designated_terrorist_organizations terrorist organization],<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-intp_12-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-intp-12 [12]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-fox1_13-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-fox1-13 [13]]</sup> while Iran, Russia,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-14">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-14 [14]]</sup> Turkey,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-15">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-15 [15]]</sup> and Arab nations do not.

The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas affiliated military wing, has launched attacks on Israel, against both military and civilian targets. Attacks on civilian targets have included [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel rocket attacks] and, from 1993 to 2006, [[Suicide Bombing|suicide bombings]].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-guardian.co.uk_22-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-guardian.co.uk-22 [22]]</sup> Military targets included Israeli outposts and border crossings and rival Palestinian militias in the occupied territories.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-23">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-23 [23]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-24">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-24 [24]]</sup>

In the January 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections Hamas won a decisive majority in the Palestinian Parliament,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-BBC-Hamas-who_7-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-BBC-Hamas-who-7 [7]]</sup> defeating the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine_Liberation_Organization PLO]-affiliated Fatah party. Following the elections, the United States and the EU [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006%E2%80%932007_economic_sanctions_against_the_Palestinian_National_Authority halted financial assistance] to the Hamas-led administration.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Newsweek1_25-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-Newsweek1-25 [25]]</sup> In March 2007 a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinan_authority_national_unity_government national unity government], headed by Prime Minister [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismail_Haniya Ismail Haniya] of Hamas was briefly formed, but this failed to restart international financial assistance.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-pact_26-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-pact-26 [26]]</sup> Tensions over control of Palestinian security forces soon erupted into the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Battle_of_Gaza 2007 Battle of Gaza],<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-pact_26-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-pact-26 [26]]</sup> after which Hamas retained control of Gaza while its officials were ousted from government positions in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bank West Bank].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-pact_26-2">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-pact-26 [26]]</sup> Israel and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt Egypt] then imposed an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007%E2%80%93present_blockade_of_the_Gaza_Strip economic blockade on Gaza], on the grounds that Fatah forces were no longer providing security there.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-iht.com_27-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-iht.com-27 [27]]</sup>

In June 2008, as part of an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Israel%E2%80%93Hamas_ceasefire Egyptian-brokered ceasefire], Hamas ceased rocket attacks on Israel and made some efforts to prevent attacks by other organizations.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-28 [28]]</sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ITIC_29-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-ITIC-29 [29]]</sup><sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:RS broken citation]'']</sup> After a four-month calm, the conflict escalated when Israel carried out a military action with the stated aim of preventing an abduction planned by Hamas, using a tunnel that had been dug under the border security fence,<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:RS broken citation]'']</sup> and killed seven Hamas operatives. In retaliation, Hamas attacked Israel with a barrage of rockets.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ITIC_29-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-ITIC-29 [29]]</sup><sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:RS broken citation]'']</sup> <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ynetnews.com_30-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-ynetnews.com-30 [30]]</sup> In late December 2008, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008%E2%80%932009_Israel%E2%80%93Gaza_conflict Israel attacked Gaza],<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-31">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-31 [31]]</sup> withdrawing its forces from the territory in mid-January 2009.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-32">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-32 [32]]</sup> After the Gaza War, Hamas continued to govern the Gaza Strip and Israel maintained its economic blockade. On May 4, 2011, Hamas and Fatah announced a reconciliation agreement that provides for "creation of a joint caretaker Palestinian government" prior to national elections scheduled for 2012.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-33">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas#cite_note-33 [33]]</sup> According to Israeli news reports quoting Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas, as a condition of joining the PLO, Khaled Meshaal agreed to discontinue the "armed struggle" against Israel and accept Palestinian statehood within the 1967 borders, alongside Israel. The two groups  reconciled in 2014, and both joined together to form the [[Palestinian Unity Government]], but this alliance later fell apart after both attempted to seize control by replacing the cabinet with their own supporters.

Hamas inherited from its predecessor a tripartite structure that consisted in the provision of social services, of religious training and military operations under a Shura Council. Traditionally it had four distinct functions: (a) a charitable social welfare division (dawah); (b) a military division for procuring weapons and undertaking operations (al-Mujahideen al Filastinun); (c) a security service (Jehaz Aman); and (d) a media branch (A'alam). Hamas has both an internal leadership within the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and an external leadership, split between a Gaza group directed by Mousa Mohammed Abu Marzook from his exile first in Damascus and then in Egypt, and a Kuwaiti group (Kuwaidia) under [[Khaled Mashal]]. The Kuwaiti group of Palestinian exiles began to receive extensive funding from the Gulf States after its leader Mashal broke with [[Yasser Arafat]]'s decision to side with [[Saddam Hussein]] in the Invasion of Kuwait, with Mashal insisting that Iraq withdraw. On May 6, 2017, Hamas' Shura Council chose [[Ismail Haniya]] to become the new leader, to replace Mashal.

The exact nature of the organization is unclear, secrecy being maintained for fear of Israeli assassinations and to conceal operational activities. Formally, Hamas maintains the wings are separate and independent. Communication between the political and military wings of Hamas is difficult, owing to the thoroughness of Israeli intelligence surveillance and the existence of an extensive base of informants. After the assassination of Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi the occasional political direction of the militant wing diminished, with field commanders given discretional autonomy on operations.

Hamas have known to occasionally collaborate with both [[Hezbollah]] and [[Palestinian Islamic Jihad]]. They also have the support of both Turkey (particularly President [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]]) and Qatar, who have provided financial aid to the group in the past. They also reportedly have operational and financial ties with [[Al-Qaeda]]. 

The organization is also infamous for its rampant [[Holocaust denial]], as they aggressively deny it on their platform and oftentimes speak with prominent Holocaust deniers.
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