Hamas: Why in the News?
Hamas is a Palestinian political armed group that was founded in 1987. It emerged as a resistance movement with the aim of liberating Palestine from Israeli occupation and establishing an Islamic state. Hamas has been involved in numerous attacks against Israel, including suicide bombings and rocket attacks, which have led to its designation as a terrorist organisation by several countries. Its role in the Israel-Palestine conflict is complex, as it is seen by some Palestinians as a legitimate resistance against Israeli oppression, while others deem it a terrorist organisation that undermines the prospects for peace and a two-state solution.
In the early morning of October 7, the armed group launched a series of surprise attacks against Israel via air, land, and sea. Hamas launched 5000 rockets, killing over 700 Israelis. The group's fighters have also infiltrated the border between Israel and Gaza, killed civilians and occupied several villages by force.
Palestine: Geography
Palestine is divided into the Gaza Strip and the West Bank( situated west of Dead Sea). Take a look at the Map below showing Israel- Palestine in biblical times and current times.
Take a look at the current position of Palestine:
When and how was Hamas formed?
- The protest initially began in Jerusalem.
- The tensions escalated because the Gaza Strip where Hamas has been prevalent attacked various parts of the country.
- In the year 1989 Palestine Liberation Organization declared the area to be free and under the Palestinians.
- Until 1948, Palestine typically referred to the geographic region located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.
- Palestinians understood that they needed a political solution when Israel gained power. Fatah, an organization was formed to initiate a political solution to the issue. Fatah was formed in 1950 and is now led by Mohd. Abbas.
- Fatah was liberal but in 1987, a radical organization Hamas came into being against Fatah. It promoted Muslim brotherhood.
- There was a division observed between the Palestinian movement then itself.
- It was in the year 1987 when the First Intifada broke out. It was due to Palestinian anger over the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank by Israel. Palestinian militia groups revolted, and hundreds of people were killed.
- Then, a subsequent peace process called the Oslo Peace Accord, was initiated during the early 1990s to end the ongoing violence.
- Oslo-I did the work of creating a timetable for a Middle East peace process along with a plan for an interim Palestinian government in parts of Gaza and the West Bank.
- An agreement was signed in 1993 in the presence of the Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Palestinian Legislative Council was formed and two elections have been carried out since then.
- In the 2006 elections, 132 seats were fought for. Hamas gained political power in the Gaza Strip and West Bank areas. Hamas wanted to win Israel and won 73 seats. Fatah won only 45 seats. In 2021 elections were announced again, so after the beginning of the firing of rockets leading to a conflict many people wanted to know the real intentions of Hamas.
Role of Hamas in current conflict:
- On October 7, Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, started "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel. The initial missile barrage was fired at 6:30 a.m. local time (03:30 GMT). The group claimed to have launched over 5,000 rockets.
- The attacks occurred on Simchat Torah, a Jewish celebration that occurs at the end of the week-long Jewish festival known as Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles.
- The main cause of Hamas' attacks on Israel can be traced back to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Palestinian people's years of subjugation and suffering.
- Gaza, the Palestinian region besieged by Israel, has seen multiple devastating wars and ongoing violence, resulting in significant loss of life and destruction of infrastructure. According to a Hamas spokesperson, unless foreign action is taken against Israel and IDF for the years of atrocities committed in Gaza, the group will take any course of action necessary to fight for the rights of Palestinians.