What is Hamas and why is it fighting with Israel in Gaza?
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Getty Images Hamas has run the Gaza Strip since 2007
Hamas is an armed Palestinian group and political movement in the Gaza Strip. On 7 October 2023 it attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. This triggered a massive Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. Hamas, which the US, UK, Israel and many other nations have designated as a terrorist organisation, has been severely weakened during the conflict. However, Israel says Hamas still commands fighters in areas including Gaza City.
What is Hamas and what are its goals?
Hamas started as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1987. Its name means Islamic Resistance Movement. It is opposed to the existence of Israel on what it says is Palestinian land. It wants a state based on Islam in its place and across the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. It has, however, signalled its willingness to accept an interim Palestinian state in just the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, without renouncing its claim to all of historic Palestine.
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