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Politics

Wadud Titilope , Lagos

What is Hamas and why is it fighting with Israel in Gaza?

Hamas is a Palestinian armed group and political movement in the Gaza Strip. On 7 October 2023 it attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 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, continued to fire rockets into Israel. In January 2025, Israel and Hamas agreed a deal to halt the war and release Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. 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. Before the 7 October attacks, Hamas was estimated to have about 30,000 fighters, but Israel said in August that its forces had killed more than 17,000 of them. This can't be independently verified. Hamas has been the sole ruler in the Gaza Strip since 2007, after winning Palestinian elections and violently ousting rivals. How Hamas built a force to attack Israel on 7 October Who are Hamas's leaders? When Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, the group's main leader was Ismail Haniyeh. He was based in Qatar, where the group has a headquarters. Haniyeh was assassinated in an explosion in July 2024, while visiting the Iranian capital, Tehran, inan attack which Israel later said it carried out. He was replaced by Yahya Sinwar, who had been leader of Hamas in Gaza since 2017. Sinwar was killed by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers in Gaza in October 2024. He was the architect of the 7 October attacks and was Israel's most wanted man.

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