An Overview of the Islamic Organisation “Hamas” that attacked Israel
On the day of Sabbath, a significant religious observance for the Jewish community, Hamas surprised Israel and the international community with a surprise attack, causing anxiety among the Israelis who had not anticipated such an event. The recent high-profile offensive attack conducted by the organisation, widely classified as a ‘terrorist group‘ by numerous nations, has again drawn considerable scrutiny due to its heinous atrocities.
Deciphering Hamas
The contemporary manifestation of Hamas, formally known as Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, was established in 1987. However, its roots can be traced back to the 1940s when the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood was established in Jerusalem. Notably, the “Palestinian Brothers” was a faction of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, founded in 1928. The primary objective of the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood was the re-Islamization of Muslim societies. There is a schism in embracing the notion of re-Islamization and another group envisaged the pursuit of the Palestinian cause should be the principal motive.
Hence, during the 1950s and 1960s, the internal conflicts within the Gaza branch of the Palestinian Brotherhood resulted in a division between those who advocated for direct confrontation against Israel and the majority faction that aligned with the process of Islamization.
The events described above resulted in the establishment of the ‘Palestinian National Liberation Movement’, often known as Fatah, which was led by Yasser Arafat. Fatah’s primary objective was to emancipate Palestine from the influence of Zionism. The conflict of interests gave rise to the hostility between Fatah and the Palestinian brethren, who later became Hamas.
The inception of Hamas can be attributed to the pivotal occurrence of the initial intifada, which commenced in 1987. A meeting took place on December 9, 1987, organised by the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood. This gathering resulted in the establishment of the Islamic Resistance Movement, afterwards known as Hamas, with Sheikh Ahmad Yassin assuming leadership.
In 1988, some months after its establishment, Hamas released a charter prominently displaying its radical inclinations. This charter explicitly advocated for the destruction of Israel and contained a substantial amount of anti-Semitic material. However, as time passed, the group began to employ a more sophisticated and politically subtle vocabulary.
Oslo Accord
Hamas’s animosity towards Israel escalated following the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, which facilitated the establishment of limited self-governance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip under the Palestinian Authority. Hamas adamantly denounced the Oslo accords. The militant organisation perpetrated acts of terrorism targeting Israel, such as bus bombings and violence in civilian areas, resulting in substantial casualties.
Following the assassination of Yahya Ayyash, the primary bomb maker of Hamas, by Israel in December 1995, there was an upsurge in the organisation’s violent actions. The prevailing animosity has resulted in four significant incidents of armed hostilities, with the fifth presently ongoing. The above altercation occurred in the year 2021 and persisted for ten days.
Israel’s Assistance to Hamas
In addition, Israel supported Hamas throughout its early phases despite Hamas’ objective of undermining the existence of the Jewish state. According to Avner Cohen, a retired Israeli official, Israel has long tolerated and even supported militant groups to counter the secular nationalists of the Palestine Liberation Organization, particularly Yasser Arafat’s Fatah faction. Instead of proactively addressing this issue, Israel has allowed it to persist. Israel collaborated with Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, notwithstanding his role in laying the groundwork for establishing Hamas.
Upon early conversations between Israelis and Gaza-based militants, the former adopted a facade of compassion, presenting themselves as a collective with the purported intention of advancing Muslim education. Notably, it is remarkable that the Israeli government extended legitimacy to the progenitor of Hamas, known as ‘Mujama Al-Islamiya‘, characterising the group as being dedicated to charitable activities.
It was not until the occurrence of suicide bombings in 1994 that the Israeli authorities came to recognise that the ostensibly peaceful group was, in fact, an adversary of Israel. Nevertheless, Israeli authorities refute the assertion that their provision of back-end support contributed to the organisation’s success.
Iran-Hamas Alliance
The vicious organisation Hamas receives its primary funding from Iran, a longstanding arch-rival of Israel since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Hence, Hamas serves as a conduit in the ongoing covert conflict between Iran and Israel. Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi openly declared its unwavering support to Hamas to end the Zionist regime. Over a period of time, Iran has invested billions of dollars in Hamas to purchase arms and provide training.
Over several weeks, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plotted strategically with Hamas to unleash a blitzkrieg attack on Israel from all sides.
“The sophistication and the complexity of the attack seem beyond what Hamas could do on its own,” a former senior U.S. intelligence official said.
For decades, Iran has been known for aiding and supporting proxy groups to counter technologically superior enemies through guerilla attacks, firing barrages of advanced rockets, swift speed boats, mini-missiles and sophisticated drones. The existence of camaraderie between Iran and Hamas has been identified as a contributing factor to the strained relations between Saudi Arabia and Hamas. Presently, Hamas relies heavily on Iran and another militant group, Hezbollah from Lebanon.
What is next for Hamas?
According to analysts, the last confrontation between Hamas and Israel in 2021 has resulted in a notable strengthening of Hamas’s political influence. Hamas acquired greater recognition as it assumed the role of the leading advocate for the wider Palestinian national cause, a departure from its previous focus on Gaza-specific concerns. This shift occurred in response to escalating tensions in Jerusalem, prompting Hamas to engage in attacks against Israel.
However, prior to the implementation of the cease-fire, Hamas has demonstrated restraint in initiating aggressive assaults against Israel, even in instances where the nation has engaged in hostilities with other factions in Gaza and conducted significant military operations in the West Bank. The observed state of relative tranquillity can be attributed to the hesitancy of Hamas to forgo economic prospects.
The biggest question is how Hamas is going to face the multiple front attacks from Israel and embargo from the international community. Henceforth, Gaza will be a potential war-zone area rather than a dispute of settlements and occupation.
