Editing Islamic Resistance Movement

{{Infobox political party|name=Islamic Resistance Movement|native_name=حركة المقاومة الإسلامية|logo=Hamas logo.png|founded=10 December 1987|founder=[[Ahmed Yassin]]|wing1_title=Military wing|wing1=Izz al-Din al-Qassem Brigades|political_orientation=[[Anti-Zionism]]<br>Islamism<br>Palestinian nationalism}}

The '''Islamic Resistance Movement''', also known as '''Hamas''' by its Arabic initials, is a [[State of Palestine|Palestinian]] resistance movement that is the democratically elected government of Palestine, but only controls [[Gaza Strip|Gaza]]. It originally advocated for the complete destruction of the [[State of Israel|Zionist Entity]] but now seeks a two-state solution and to drive the occupier out of the [[West Bank]].<ref name=":0">{{Web citation|author=Alan Nasser|newspaper=[[Monthly Review]]|title=Hamas: What It Is, What It Wants, and What Israel Makes of It|date=2009-01-12|url=https://mronline.org/2009/01/12/hamas-what-it-is-what-it-wants-and-what-israel-makes-of-it/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024093042/https://mronline.org/2009/01/12/hamas-what-it-is-what-it-wants-and-what-israel-makes-of-it/|archive-date=2021-10-24|retrieved=2022-09-09}}</ref> The imperialist governments of the Zionist Entity, [[Australia]], the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|UK]], [[United States of America|USA]], and [[European Union|EU]] have classified Hamas as a [[Terrorism|terrorist]] organization<ref name=":1">{{Web citation|newspaper=[[Peoples Dispatch]]|title=Australia to list Hamas as a terrorist organization|date=2022-02-20|url=https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/02/20/australia-to-list-hamas-as-a-terrorist-organization/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221133641/https://peoplesdispatch.org/2022/02/20/australia-to-list-hamas-as-a-terrorist-organization/|archive-date=2022-02-21|retrieved=2022-09-09}}</ref> even though it opposes [[al-Qaeda]] and [[jihadism]].<ref name=":0" />

== History ==

=== Background ===
Before Hamas formed, the leader of the Palestinian resistance was the secular [[Palestine Liberation Organization]]. The Zionist Entity and [[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] monarchy funded religious organizations that were less political and provided education and social services to Palestinians. The occupier initially allowed these Islamic groups to broadcast by radio while censoring secular activists.<ref name=":0" />

=== Resistance movement ===
These Islamic groups gradually became more politicized and united in 1987 to form Hamas. In 1992, the Zionist Entity exiled hundreds of Hamas members. The [[United Nations]] Security Council condemned the expulsion, but [[Bill Clinton]] prevented them from returning. At this point, only about 15% of Palestinians supported Hamas.<ref name=":0" />

Hamas rose in popularity after 2000, when the PLO agreed to give up much of Palestine's land in the West Bank. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of [[Settler colonialism|settlers]] in the West Bank doubled. Hamas won the 2006 elections to the [[Palestinian National Authority]] in Gaza. In these elections, a more moderate faction that supported a two-state solution took power.<ref name=":0" />

==== Al-Aqsa Flood ====
{{Main article|Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa}}
In October 2023, Hamas rebelled against [[Zionism]] and called for solidarity from free peoples around the world.<ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=[[Workers World]]|title=Hamas calls for mass participation in Al-Aqsa Flood, Oct. 13|date=2023-10-11|url=https://www.workers.org/2023/10/73873/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231014000606/https://www.workers.org/2023/10/73873/|archive-date=2023-10-14}}</ref>

== Zionist aggression ==
Zionist aggression against Hamas worsened in February 2001 after [[Ariel Sharon]] became Prime Minister.

* On 31 July 2001, Zionists assassinated two Hamas commanders in Nablus during a ceasefire.
* On 23 November 2001, Zionists murdered senior Hamas leader [[Mahmud Abu Hanoud]].
* On 23 July 2002, just before an anticipated ceasefire, Zionists bombed an apartment block, killing Hamas member [[Salah Shehada]] and 15 Palestinian civilians.
* On 22 March 2004, Zionists murdered Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder of Hamas.<ref name=":0" />

== Myths ==

=== Antisemitism ===
Hamas's original charter from 1988 acknowledges that Jews and Muslims can coexist in peace but contains some other [[Antisemitism|antisemitic]] statements.<ref>{{Citation|author=Islamic Resistance Movement|year=1988|title=Hamas Covenant|title-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207003916/https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp|chapter-url=|quote=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.}}</ref> However, the updated charter adopted in 2017 specifically rejects antisemitism.<ref>{{Citation|author=Islamic Resistance Movement|year=2017|title=A Document of General Principles and Policies|title-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510123932/http://hamas.ps/en/post/678/|quote=Hamas affirms that its conflict is with the [[Zionist]] project not with the Jews because of their religion. Hamas does not wage a struggle against the Jews because they are Jewish but wages a struggle against the Zionists who occupy Palestine. Yet, it is the Zionists who constantly identify Judaism and the Jews with their own colonial project and illegal entity.
...
Hamas is of the view that the Jewish problem, [[anti-Semitism]] and the persecution of the Jews are phenomena fundamentally linked to European history and not to the history of the Arabs and the Muslims or to their heritage}}</ref>

=== Human shields ===
According to [[Amnesty International]], Hamas does not use civilians to shield from Israeli attacks.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Robert Inlakesh|newspaper=[[MintPress News]]|title=Hamas Uses Human Shields? The Evidence|date=2023-11-29|url=https://www.mintpressnews.com/hamas-uses-human-shields-the-evidence/286346/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202024207/https://www.mintpressnews.com/hamas-uses-human-shields-the-evidence/286346/|archive-date=2023-12-02}}</ref>

== References ==
[[Category:Palestine]]
[[Category:Islam]]
<references />
[[Category:Anti-imperialist organizations]]
[[Category:Debunking myths]]