History of Hamas

The History of Hamas is an account of a far-right, Palestinian Sunni-Islamic movement, based in the Palestinian territories, associated with a paramillitary force named Izz Ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades.

In Arabic, the name "Hamas" is an acronym of the "Harakat Al-Muqawamat al-Islamiyyah", which means "Islamic Resistance Movement".


Hamas was established during the First Palestinian uprising against the State of Israel in 1987.

It is the Palestinian National Authority chapter of the Ikhwan, which had been active in the Gaza Strip since the 1950s and gained influence through a network of mosques and various charitable and social organizations. Hamas was initially discreetly supported by Israel as a counter-balance to the secular-minded Palestine Liberation Organization. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the organization conducted numerous suicide bombings and other attacks against Israel.