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File:HamasLogo.jpg
The Hamas emblem shows two crossed swords, the Dome of the Rock and a map of the land they claim as Palestine (present-day Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip).

Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist organization created in 1987 popular primarily for creating an extensive network of social welfare programs throughout the West Bank and Gaza. In the Western world, Hamas is widely known for carrying out suicide bombings and other attacks against Israelis to further its goal of creating an Islamic Republic of Palestine in the area that is now Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. The group is listed as a terrorist organization by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Israel, and the United States, and is banned in Jordan .

In 2006, Hamas became the governing party of the Palestinian Authority, having won a majority of seats in Palestinian legislative elections. Following the Hamas election victory, Western leaders threatened to cut off foreign aid to the Palestinian National Authority, unless Hamas renounces violence, recognizes Israel, and expresses support for the Middle East peace process, as outlined by the Oslo Accords.

Name

Hamas (Template:Lang-ar, acronym of Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya, Arabic: حركة المقاومة الاسلامية, literally "Islamic Resistance Movement") is an abbreviation of Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Arabic . The acronym corresponds to an Arabic word, meaning "enthusiasm, fire, ardor, fervor, zeal, fanaticism" (The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic).

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," (see Kushner, 2002, p. 160) to commemorate Yahya Ayyash, an early Hamas bomb-maker assassinated in 1996 .

Beliefs

Founded in 1987, Hamas was the Gaza Strip branch of the Pan-Arab (Sunni) Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement, which had been founded in Egypt. Hamas is ideologically opposed to the existence of Israel and has denounced the 1993 Oslo Accords, the foundation of the failed peace process, as a "betrayal of God's will". However, in 2004, Hamas offered a 10 years truce, or hudna, in exchange for several conditions including a complete withdrawal from the occupied territories (See below).

Hamas regards the territory of the 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 wrest control of the land from Israel is the religious duty of every Muslim (fard `ain). This position is more radical than that now held by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which in 1988 recognized Israel's sovereignty. Hamas does not recognize Israel as a sovereign state and refers to it as the "Zionist entity", a common hostile term in Arab political rhetoric, and calls for Israel's destruction in its charter. Hamas dropped its call for the destruction of Israel from its electoral manifesto . However 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 25th, 2006, after winning the Palestinian elections, Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Zahhar gave an interview to Al-Manar TV denouncing foreign demands that Hamas recognize Israel's right to exist.

Hamas's charter calls for the eventual destruction of the state of Israel and the creation of an Islamic Republic in it's place. . Hamas sees this view as an Islamic religious duty and prophesy which comes directly from the Q'uran and as such can not be compromised, how ever the group has not set a specific date for such destruction of Israel, Hamas founder, Sheikh Yassin, has mentioned the year 2027 as the possible date for destruction 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." However, on February 13, 2005, Hamas leader Khaled Mashal declared that Hamas would stop armed struggle against Israel if it recognized the 1967 borders and withdrew itself from all Palestinian occupied territories (including the West Bank and East Jerusalem (See below).

According to the neo-conservative Washington Institute, 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." 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.

The 1988 Hamas Covenant states that the organization's goal is to "raise the banner of God over every inch of Palestine," i.e. to eliminate the State of Israel (and any secular Palestinian state which may be established), and to replace it with 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 revolutionary roles for all members of society; including men and women, professionals, scientists and students.

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 incapable of realizing justice or restoring rights to the oppressed, believing "there is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad." During the election campaign the organisation toned down the criticism of Israel in their election manifest and only stated that they are prepared to use "armed resistance to end the occupation".

The Covenant of Hamas

The Covenant (or Charter) of Hamas was published in 1988. It 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:

Preface: "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it." (A quote by Imam Hassan al-Banna)

Article 6: "The Islamic Resistance Movement is a distinguished Palestinian movement, whose allegiance is to Allah, and whose way of life is Islam. It strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine, for under the wing of Islam followers of all religions can coexist in security and safety where their lives, possessions and rights are concerned..."

Article 11: "The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up."

Article 13: "There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors. The Palestinian people know better than to consent to having their future, rights and fate toyed with."

Article 28: "The Zionist invasion is a vicious invasion ... It relies greatly in its infiltration and espionage operations on the secret organizations it gave rise to, such as the Freemasons, The Rotary and Lions clubs, and other sabotage groups. All these organizations, whether secret or open, work in the interest of Zionism and according to its instructions ..."

Article 31: "The Islamic Resistance Movement is a humanistic movement. It takes care of human rights and is guided by Islamic tolerance when dealing with the followers of other religions. It does not antagonize anyone of them except if it is antagonized by it or stands in its way to hamper its moves and waste its efforts. Under the wing of Islam, it is possible for the followers of the three religions - Islam, Christianity and Judaism - to coexist in peace and quiet with each other."

Article 32: "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."

Suicide attacks are an element of what the group sees as its asymmetric warfare against Israel. Since the group considers all Israel to be a "militarized society" (there is mandatory military service for most Jewish men and women) and Israelis to be participants in an illegal occupation of Palestinian land, Hamas does not distinguish between Israeli civilian and military targets. This failure to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants and the group's willingness to target civilian facilities including buses, supermarkets, and restaurants has led to it being labeled a terrorist organization.

Hamas' position on other social and political issues:

Article 16 (education): It is necessary to follow Islamic orientation in educating the Islamic generations in our region by teaching the religious duties, comprehensive study of the Koran, the study of the Prophet's Sunna (his sayings and doings), and learning about Islamic history and heritage from their authentic sources. This should be done by specialised and learned people, using a curriculum that would healthily form the thoughts and faith of the Moslem student. Side by side with this, a comprehensive study of the enemy, his human and financial capabilities, learning about his points of weakness and strength, and getting to know the forces supporting and helping him, should also be included. Also, it is important to be acquainted with the current events, to follow what is new and to study the analysis and commentaries made of these events. Planning for the present and future, studying every trend appearing, is a must so that the fighting Moslem would live knowing his aim, objective and his way in the midst of what is going on around him.

Article 18 (on women):

Woman in the home of the fighting family, whether she is a mother or a sister, plays the most important role in looking after the family, rearing the children and embuing them with moral values and thoughts derived from Islam. She has to teach them to perform the religious duties in preparation for the role of fighting awaiting them. That is why it is necessary to pay great attention to schools and the curriculum followed in educating Moslem girls, so that they would grow up to be good mothers, aware of their role in the battle for liberation.

She has to be of sufficient knowledge and understanding where the performance of housekeeping matters are concerned, because economy and avoidance of waste of the family budget, is one of the requirements for the ability to continue moving forward in the difficult conditions surrounding us. She should put before her eyes the fact that the money available to her is just like blood which should never flow except through the veins so that both children and grown-ups could continue to live.

Article 21 (on civic culture and social responsibility): Mutual social responsibility means extending assistance, financial or moral, to all those who are in need and joining in the execution of some of the work. Members of the Islamic Resistance Movement should consider the interests of the masses as their own personal interests. They must spare no effort in achieving and preserving them. They must prevent any foul play with the future of the upcoming generations and anything that could cause loss to society. The masses are part of them and they are part of the masses. Their strength is theirs, and their future is theirs. Members of the Islamic Resistance Movement should share the people's joy and grief, adopt the demands of the public and whatever means by which they could be realised. The day that such a spirit prevails, brotherliness would deepen, cooperation, sympathy and unity will be enhanced and the ranks will be solidified to confront the enemies.

Anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitism is a recurring theme in Hamas Covenant and speeches of its leaders. The Covenant cites the long-discredited anti-Semitic fraud, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, describing it as "the embodiment of the Zionist plan to usurp Palestine". Other examples of anti-Semitism in their Covenant include:

Introduction:

Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious. It needs all sincere efforts. It is a step that inevitably should be followed by other steps. The Movement is but one squadron that should be supported by more and more squadrons from this vast Arab and Islamic world, until the enemy is vanquished and Allah's victory is

realised.

Article 7: ... the Islamic Resistance Movement aspires to the realisation of Allah's promise, no matter how long that should take. 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 Gharqad tree would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews."

Article 28:

... when the Jews conquered the Holy City in 1967, they stood on the threshold of the Aqsa Mosque and proclaimed that "Mohammed is dead, and his descendants are all women."

Israel, Judaism and Jews challenge Islam and the Moslem people. "May the cowards never sleep."

Hamas dismisses the Freemasons, Lions Club, and the Rotarians as organizations promoting "the interest of Zionism." It accuses those organizations, and the "Zionist invasion" in general, of being "behind the drug trade and alcoholism in all its kinds."

Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, co-founder of Hamas, reiterated beliefs of Holocaust denial as recently as one year before his 2004 death, contending that the Holocaust did not occur in the manner described by Western historians.

In 1998, Esther Webman of the Project for the Study of Anti-Semitism at the Tel-Aviv University wrote: "...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, anti-Semitism became almost dominant. Earlier anti-Semitic 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."

According to Hamas choice for Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh:

We do not have any feelings of animosity toward Jews. We do not wish to throw them into the sea. All we seek is to be given our land back, not to harm anybody.

Activities

Attacks against Israel

File:Buss Suicide Bombing West Jerusalem3.jpg
The wreckage of a commuter bus in West Jerusalem after a suicide bombing by Hamas on Tuesday, June 18, 2002. The blast killed 19 people.

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 . Hamas described it as a response to a mass-killing of 29 praying Palestinians by an American-born Jewish settler in a Hebron Mosque 40 days earlier. It was Hamas' 19th known attack since 1989 (the others being shootings, kidnappings and knife 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 Ezzedeen-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.

Hamas has used female suicide bombers, including a mother of six and a mother of two children under the age of 10. Hamas claims that all suicide bombers volunteer for what they term "martyrdom operations" however an anonymous Israeli military source claims that one of the women was forced to commit these acts under threat of what is termed an "honor killing".

Hamas has also attacked Israeli military and security forces targets (mostly inside the West Bank and Gaza Strip and occasionally inside Israel), suspected Palestinian collaborators, and Fatah rivals.

Hamas shelled the Gush Katif Israeli settlements in Gaza with homemade mortars. About 5500 mortar shells have landed in Gush Katif, killing 3 people before the settlements were dismantled.

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.

Support for the Palestinian population

The organization 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 an article by Israeli scholar Reuven Paz, published by the conservative US think-tank Council on Foreign Relations, approximately 90 percent of the organization's work is in social, welfare, cultural, and educational activities. These programs are viewed variously as part of a sincere social development agenda, an integrated para-state policy, as propaganda and recruitment exercises, or both. 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). The charitable trust Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development was accused in December 2001 of funding Hamas.

Hamas is also well regarded by Palestinians for its efficiency and perceived lack of corruption compared to Fatah.

Funding

Hamas is well funded and known to support families of suicide bombers after their deaths. According to the U.S. State Dept, it is funded by Iran (led by a shiite Islamic regime), Palestinian expatriates, and private benefactors in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states. However, various sources, among them United Press International, Le Canard Enchaîné and L'Humanité have highlighted that Hamas' early growth - before its official founding and the creation of the military branch - had been supported by the Mossad as a "counterbalance to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)". Furthermore, the French investigative newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné revealed that the Shin Beth had also supported Hamas as a counterweight to the PLO and the Fatah, in an attempt to give "a religious slant to the conflict, in order to make believe Occident that the conflict was between Jews and Muslims" .

Other

Hamas has an unknown number of hard-line members and tens of thousands of supporters and sympathizers It is believed to operate dozens of websites. A current listing can be found at Internet Haganah (External link below). The main website of Hamas provides translations of official communiques and propaganda 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.

History

Brief timeline

  • 1984. Arrest of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, condemned to 12 years of prison after the discovery of an arms cache. Yassin is freed the next year.
  • 1987. Creation of Hamas by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
  • 1989. Israel outlaws Hamas and imprisons Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
  • April 1993. First Hamas suicide bombing at Mehola Junction.
  • January 6, 2004. 10 year truce (hudna) offered by senior Hamas official Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi in exchange of Israel's complete withdrawal to the 1967 borders.
  • March 22 2004, assassination of Sheikh Yassin. Yassin, then an old man restricted to a wheel-chair due to his life-long paralysis was assassinated in an Israeli missile strike on March 22, 2004. Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi replaced him as the leader of Hamas. On March 28, Rantissi stated in a speech given at the Islamic University of Gaza City that "America declared war against God. Sharon declared war against God, and God declared war against America, Bush and Sharon."
  • September 2004. Israeli army chief Moshe Yaalon said that Israel would "deal with ... those who support terrorism," including those in "terror command posts in Damascus."
  • September 26, 2004. Assassination of Izz El-Deen Sheikh Khalil. Sheikh Khalil was assassinated by a car bomb in Damascus, Syria. Khalil was described variously as "mid-level," "senior," a "distinguished member," and "believed to be in charge of the group's military wing outside the Palestinian territories." Although the Israeli government offered no official confirmation, anonymous Israeli officials acknowledged responsibility for the attack. In a statement released in Gaza, Hamas threatened to target Israelis abroad in retaliation. .
  • As of 2004, Israeli military and intelligence sources believed that the Hamas infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza Strip has been significantly weakened by Israeli military operations. Israeli sources have noted that no prominent attacks have been claimed by West Bank-based Hamas members (whereas bombings by the Fatah-linked Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades continued), even though the Hamas leadership had reputedly ordered an escalation of suicide attacks after the assassinations of sheikh Yassin and Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi. The West Bank has been under increased Israeli military control since Operation Defensive Shield was launched in April 2002, which severely limited the mobility and organization of the remaining Hamas membership. However, the 2006 legislative elections proved Hamas was a political power, at least in the Gaza strip.

Before 1987 - Palestinian Islamic activities prior to the creation of Hamas

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin returned to Gaza from Cairo in the 1970s, where he set up Islamic charities, founding Hamas in 1987 as an offshoot of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. According to the Israeli weekly Koteret Rashit (October 1987), "The Islamic associations as well as the had been supported and encouraged by the Israeli military authority" in charge of the (civilian) administration of the West Bank and Gaza. "They were authorized to receive money payments from abroad." By the end of 1992, they were 600 hundreds mosques in Gaza. Hamas attracted members through preaching and charitable work before spreading its influence into trade unions, universities, bazaars, professional organizations and local government political races beginning in December 2004 . “Thanks to Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad (Israel’s Institute for Intelligence and Special Tasks), the Islamists were allowed to reinforce their presence in the occupied territories. Meanwhile, the members of Fatah (Movement for the National Liberation of Palestine) and the Palestinian Left were subjected to the most brutal form of repression”, according to L’Humanite . Indeed Israel supported and encouraged Hamas' early growth in an effort to undermine the secular Fatah movement of Yasser Arafat. According to UPI, Israel supported Hamas starting in the late 1970s as a "counterbalance to the Palestine Liberation Organization". At that time, Hamas's focus was on "religious and social work". The grassroots movement concentrated on social issues such as exposing corruption, administration of waqf (trusts) and organizing community projects.

1987 - The establishment of Hamas

The acronym "Hamas" first appeared in 1987 in a leaflet accusing the Israeli intelligence services of undermining the moral fiber of Palestinian youth as part of their recruitment of what they termed collaborators. The use of violence by Hamas appeared almost contemporaneously with the First Intifada, beginning with the beating of Palestinians working with the Israeli government, progressing to attacks against Israeli military targets and moving on to violence aimed at civilians. As its methods have changed over the last twenty years, so has its rhetoric, now effectively claiming that Israeli civilians are "military targets" by virtue of living in a state with a military draft. The first Hamas suicide bombing was committed during the second Intifada, in April 1994 at Hadara.

1991 - The Persian Gulf war

Between February and April 1998, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin raised several millions dollars from the Gulf states, which had withdrawn their funding from Fatah following its official support of Saddam Hussein during the first Gulf War. In prison since 1989, Yassin was released under “humanitarian reasons” by Prime minister Netanyahu following a failed assassination attempt on Khaled Mashal, and expelled to Jordan, from where he was allowed to return to Gaza in October 1997. The military branch Ezzedeen-al-qassam were created a year before the Oslo Accords, in an attempt to block those negotiations.

2004 - A 10-year truce

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. 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."

Observed since an attack on the Israeli southern town of Beersheba 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.

End of January 2004, Steve Cohen, US civil servant mandated by the State Department and Colin Powell, assisted to a meeting with Hamas officials, according to the Canard Enchaîné . The mission was not only in informing itself about the objectives of the movement, according to the French newspaper, but also to evalue if Hamas could represent a counter-balance to al-Qaeda. In exchange, Hamas officials asked for the end of "targeted killings" practiced against them by the Israeli military.

While the group boycotted the 2005 Palestinian presidential election, it did participate in the 2005 municipal elections organized by Yassir Arafat in the occupied territories. In those elections it won control of over one third of Palestinian municipal councils, besting Fatah, which has traditionally been "the biggest force in Palestinian politics." With this electoral success behind it, Hamas contested the 2006 elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council as the main component of the List of Change and Reform.

2005 - Israel's unilateral disengagement plan

In 2004, in a prelude to Israel's unilateral disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces carried out a number of military attacks on Gaza cities and refugees camps, seeking to draw out and kill Hamas-affiliated gunmen. Awareness of high casualties during such incursions has led the Hamas leadership to instruct its activists to avoid putting themselves needlessly in the line of fire. On 12 September 2005 Tsahal withdrew from the Gaza Strip and declared an official end to Israeli military rule in Gaza, though Israel still retains control of the airspace and of the sea. However the Palestinan Authority argues that the occupation is on-going, as complete sovereignty includes control of both airspace and seaways. Critics have called the Gaza strip an "open-air prison".

Hamas claimed that this unilateral withdrawal was a victory for its armed struggle and pledged to liberate all the occupied territories, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Fatah, on the other hand, viewed Ariel Sharon's unilateral plan as proof of the Palestinians' failure to obtain international recognition. Both criticized the disengagement plan, citing Sharon's simultaneous encouragement of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including Ma'ale Adummim, a large settlement east of Jerusalem .

In April 2005, an advisor of hawkish Benjamin Netanyahu, principal right-wing opponent of Ariel Sharon, secretly negotiated with a Hamas representant, according to the Canard Enchaîné. The meeting was about the "possibility of an administrative co-gestion with the Hamas in the occupied territories", which is already the case in some Hamas-controlled cities of the West Bank, according to the French newspaper, which continues saying that: "But, in both sides, participants to such a dialogue keeps their mouth shut (bouche cousue). It is impossible to admit that one has met and negotiated with his sworn enemy."

January 2006 - Winning the legislative election

While Hamas had boycotted the January 2005 presidential election, during which Mahmoud Abbas was elected to replace Yasser Arafat, it did participate to the municipal elections held between January and May 2005, in which it took control of Beit Lahia in Gaza, Qalqiliya in the West Bank and Rafah. The January 2006 legislative elections marqued another victory for Hamas, which gained the majority of seats, defeating the ruling Fatah party. The "List of Change and Reform", as Hamas presented itself, obtained 42.9% of the vote and 76 of the 132 seats. ; according to Reuters 74 seats . Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and his cabinet resigned, leaving Hamas to form a new government. On February 19, Hamas chose Ismail Haniya as Prime minister of the PA, and on the same day the government of Israel decided counter-measures against the new Hamas-led Palestinian Authority (suspension of $50 million transfer of tax-receipts). After the victory, Israeli Human Rights organizations have called on Hamas to stop its terror campaign against civilians and to avoid using violence as a tool to achieve a political solution.

President Vladimir Putin said that Russia would not support any efforts to cut off financial assistance to the Palestinians, stating that Hamas gained power by democratic means. He invited some Hamas leaders to Moscow beginning of March 2006. However, the US Bush administration and the European Union have threatened to cut financial aid to the Palestinian Authority if Hamas members hold ministerial positions. On February 19, 2006, interim Israeli Prime minister Ehud Olmert decided to stop transfer of the $50 million tax-receipts to the PA, which accounts for a third of the PA's budget and insure the wages of 140 000 Palestinian civil servants (among them 60 000 security and police officers). It also decided to increase controls on check-points, but finally decided against blocking Palestinians from commuting between Gaza and the West Bank and from prohibiting to work in Israel.

The result of the election is regarded as a major setback for governments attempting to mediate the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The United States has said that it will not deal with Hamas until it renounces its support of suicide bombings and terrorism, and accepts Israel's right to exist. Israeli president Moshe Katsav and Israel's ex-prime minister Shimon Peres have both said that, if Hamas will accept Israel's right to exist and give up terror, Israel should negotiate with the organization. </ref> 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," several Hamas candidates insisted that the charter remains in force On Feb 8, Hamas head Haled Mash'al speaking in Cairo had clarfied 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: elimination of Israel by Islam via a holy war (jihad) against non-Muslims in all of what he called Palestine.

The Quartet threatened to cut all funds to the Palestinian Authority, with only Russia warning against the potential dangers of cutting out the PA from any Occidental support. On the other hand, interim Israeli Prime minister Ehud Olmert, who called the PA a "terrorist authority" and declared that these measures "were not against civilians but against a terrorist power", decided on February 19, 2006 to stop transferring approximatively $50 millions tax receipts to the Palestinian Authority (which account for a third of the PA's budget). . These measures were to be implemented start of March 2006. Criticizing them, moderate Labour leader Amir Peretz said that they are "indirect ways" to "get around Hamas and strengthen moderate forces" among the Palestinians . Before the Israeli decision to cut transfer of tax receipts, Palestinian Assembly passed legislation giving to the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, the power to appoint a court that could veto legislation passed by the new Hamas-led parliament to be sworn in start of February. The constitutional court would veto legislation deemed in violation of the Palestinians' Basic Law, a forerunner to the Palestinian constitution. Palestinian deputies also backed a decree which automatically makes members of the incoming parliament members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's (PLO) parliament in exile. Unlike the Hamas charter, the PLO charter recognises the legitimacy of Israel. . Furthermore, in an interview in Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta, published on February 13, 2006, Hamas leader Khaled Mashal declared that Hamas would stop armed struggle against Israel if it recognized the 1967 borders and withdrew itself from all Palestinian occupied territories (including the West Bank and East Jerusalem). However, Mashal continued to refuse to acknowledge the Road map for peace, adopted by the Quartet in June 2003, "since nobody respects it". The Road map projected the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in 2005. .

Following Hamas' victory in the Palestinian elections EU announced that future aid to the Palestinians is tied to "Three Principles" outlined by the international community:

  • Hamas must renounce violence
  • Hamas must recognize Israel right to exist
  • Hamas must express clear support for the Middle East peace process, as outlined in the Oslo accords.

Legal action against Hamas

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 Beit 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 Palestinian Authority 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. The two others — Muhammad Hamid Khalil Salah of Chicago, Illinois and Abdelhaleem Hasan Abdelraziq Ashqar of Alexandria, Va. — were arrested on August 19. The indictment states that Salah received $50,000 which was used over the course of the following three months to help Hamas finance eight terrorist attacks that resulted in the deaths of numerous Israeli civilians (Washington Times).

On February 8, 2006, Hamas has been successfully sued in an Israeli court. The Jerusalem District Court has awarded the Gavish family a judgment in the amount of N.I.S. 90 million ($20 million). Following an attack on their home which left four members of the household, including both parents, dead, six children brought suit in May 2002. Concerning its rationale for awarding the Gavish family punitive damages, the District Court wrote:

"With no need to elaborate, I believe, that the current case is appropriate for awarding punitive compensation against the defendant. The sinful act of murder justifies such an award. It is a terrorist action, which was done with intent and full awareness to cause the death of the victims and the damage to their families, since there is no other explanation for this act. Behind the act is a pure hatred that brought about the death of the decedents and a very difficult and traumatic experience upon the plaintiffs - their survivors."

List of notable Hamas members

  • West Bank
    • Mohammad Taha - co founder of Hamas (arrested by Israel, March 2003)
    • Qawasameh clan in Hebron - provided local leaders and suicide bombers to Hamas (some members killed by Israeli military operations, one arrested, 2002-2003)
    • Yahya Ayyash - the "Muhandees", a senior bomb-maker (assassinated by Israeli military operation, 1996)
    • Muhammad Abu Tir - "political wing" senior leader


See also

Notes and references

  1. US State Dept. list of terrorist groups
  3. "Who are Hamas?". January 26, 2006. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  4. "New-look Hamas spends £100k on an image makeover". January 20, 2006. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  5. "Victory leaves Hamas with a dilemma (Opinion)". January 27, 2006. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  6. US Council of Foreign Relations think-tank on Hamas
  7. "Why Rising Popularity Poses a Dilemma for Hamas". January 23, 2006. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  8. ""The Palestinian Authority held a democratic election and Israel and the rest of the world must accept that Hamas was the victor"". No date. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  9. "Hamas from cradle to grave". Winter 2004. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  10. "Hamas is a creation of Mossad". transl. March 2004. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  11. "Hamas history tied to Israel". June 18, 2002. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  12. "Les très secrètes 'relations' Israël-Hamas (The very secret Israel-Hamas 'relations')". February 1, 2006 (issue n°4449). {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  13. BaltimoreSun
  14. AlJazeerah
  15. "Hamas success in Fatah heartland". May 13, 2005. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  16. "Israel: Sharon the blessed". February 2006. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  19. "Hamas drops call for destruction of Israel from manifesto". January 12, 2006. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  20. "Hamas manifesto offers softer line ahead of vote". January 12, 2006. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  21. "Hamas: Ceasefire for return to 1967 border". January 30, 2006. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  22. "Israel halts funds for Palestinians, Abbas slams move". February 19, 2006. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  23. "Israel Threatens Tough Economic Sanctions". February 17, 2006. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  24. "Palestinian Parliament Gives New Power". February 13, 2006. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help) "Outgoing MPs boost Abbas' power". February 13, 2006. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
  25. "Hamas will end armed struggle if Israel quits territories - leader". February 13, 2006. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)"Le Hamas pose ses conditions ("Hamas states its conditions")". February 13, 2006. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help) Nezavisimaya Gazeta website
  • Kushner, Harvey W. (2002). Encyclopedia of Terrorism. Sage Publications. ISBN 0761924086

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