The united states and the european union consider hamas a terrorist organization. State department lists hamas on its official list of terrorist groups. In december 2014, the general court of the european union ordered to. Hamas is a terrorist group dedicated to israels destruction designated by the united states as a terrorist group in 1995, hamas has killed more than 500 civiliansincluding twodozen americansin suicide bombings and other attacks. Fto designations play a critical role in our fight against terrorism and are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities and pressuring groups to. Strategy and tactics another important palestinian terrorist group is hamas, and hamas emerges out of the muslim brotherhood, which is an islamist organization founded in egypt that has wings, or branches, or affiliations around the muslim world. The palestinian society is recipient of its social welfare services.
Hamas and other islamist groups are only acting to serve an islamist and not a national interest. Palestinian islamic jihad pij is a palestinian islamist terrorist group sponsored by iran and syria. Hamas, militant islamic palestinian nationalist movement dedicated to the establishment of an independent islamic state in historical palestine. Hamas arrested a palestinian in gaza on thursday, saying that he had taken part in a video conference with israelis and describing his act as treason. Hamas declared a terrorist organisation by the european. Hamas, the organization that has replaced fatah as the representative of the palestinians, is a leading sponsor of terrorism. Its ideology and record original written by yitzhak santis in 2008, updated july 2014.
An egyptian diplomat told egypts weekly alahram newspaper that hamass militant extremism, together with that of hizbollah and other radical islamist groups, are preventing peace with israel. Russia on friday published a list of 17 groups it regards as terrorist organizations and did not include the palestinian movement hamas or lebanons hizbullah group, both of which are regarded as. This group was created in 1978 and continues to expand its power today. It has a social service wing, dawah, and a military wing, the izz addin alqassam brigades. Group and aljihad islamic jihad, al qaeda, hamas, hizballah, and almuqawamah the resistance. The word literally means zeal, and that certainly describes those who have led this group. Issue memos new hamas documents calls for israels destruction pdf.
Backgrounder on the issues hamas jcrc of san francisco. The group won an electoral majority in the 2006 legislative elections, but the legislature was dissolved a year later. Hamas s strategy and tactics target three types of audiences. State departments annual report on terrorist groups.
Islamic terrorist groups have used the tba for fundraising, drug trafficking, money laundering, plotting, and other activities in support of their organizations. Since the beginning of the current wave of palestinian violence, in september 2000, hamas has perpetrated 425 terrorist attacks of various kinds, in which 377 israelis were murdered and 2,076 civilians and soldiers were wounded. More recently, the group has launched thousands of rockets at israel, dug attack tunnels and served as the inspiration for countless lonewolf attacks upon israeli soldiers and civilians. Despite a rab protests that hamas is a legitimate movement of national liberation, this palestinian group is regularly listed in the u. Meshaal said in may 2010 that calls to change the groups charter are an unjust request. June 12, 2003 a suicide bomber disguised as an ultraorthodox jew detonates himself on a jerusalem bus.
In addition to hamas violent record as a terrorist organization, it possesses a radical islamist ideology that explicitly. Founded in 1979 as an offshoot of the egyptian muslim brotherhood, pij is the secondlargest terrorist group in gaza today after hamas. The eu designated hamas as a terrorist group from 2003. International positions on the nature of hamas wikipedia. As for the outermost circle of global mb leaders, they are likely to begin to exert greater authority over the strategic direction hamas takes now that hamas has registered such. Hizb altahrircharacterizes them as israelhaters and terrorists. The foreign policy of hamas council on foreign relations. Son of hamas is now available in softcover with an allnew chapter about events since the books release such as the revelation of mosabs israeli intelligence handlers true identity, and homeland securitys effort to deport the author. More than 120 members of congress privately issued letters of support to a controversial islamicamerican advocacy group known for its involvement in. Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the united states and the european union, has carried out more than 100 major terrorist attacks, killing more than 500 people. Judges in the european unions most senior court ruled that the group. Its goal is to liberate palestine and confront the zionist project. Jerusalem hamas, the militant group that runs the gaza strip, has been trying for over a year to keep a lid on its conflict with israel, to improve the abysmal quality of life for the two. Why is it that certain terrorist organizations employ suicide terrorism to advance their objectives, while.
Pdf, hamas would fall far short of the majority it. The islamic resistance movement hamas is a palestinian islamic national liberation and resistance movement. Hamas is also not prepared to dismantle its armed group, izaddin alkassam, as part of its effort to persuade the us and eu to drop it from the list of terrorist groups. Hamas and fatah in april 2011 agreed to form an interim government and hold elections, reaffirming this pledge in february 2012. The hamas are the leading reason there is not peace in the middle east as they strongly embrace terrorism. Hamas arrests palestinians in gaza for zoom video chat. Hamas departed its longtime political headquarters in damascus in february and dispersed throughout the region as syrian president bashar alasads crackdown on opposition in the country made remaining in syria untenable for the group. Hamas this terrorist group was behind a wave of devastating suicide bombings and other activities in the 1990s and 2000s. Hamasa designated terrorist organization by the united states and the. Following recent rocket fire, israel cannot tolerate the rules of the game that palestinian islamic jihad pij is trying to impose on it, and the objective of reaching a longterm understanding with the main terrorist group, hamas, is looking increasingly distant.
The history of the terrorist group hamas essay 1185. From that time to this, however, the united states government has known that cair actually is an entity founded by the muslim brotherhoods palestinian franchise. Its frame of reference is islam, which determines its principles, objectives and means. Politics, charity, and terrorism in the service of jihad on. In fact, many countries consider the group to be a terrorist organization, while others regard them as a political party. Since he was a small boy, mosab hassan yousef has had an inside view of the deadly terrorist group. Hamas is an offshoot of the palestinian muslim brotherhood. Cair questioned the 1995 executive order labeling hamas as a terrorist group.
Foreign terrorist organizations ftos are foreign organizations that are designated by the secretary of state in accordance with section 219 of the immigration and nationality act ina, as amended. Hamas and fatah are the two most dominant parties in the palestinian political scene. As islamic jihad and israel battled, hamas, in a twist. Furthermore, i argue that the main impediment to peace is not that hamas is a terrorist group or thatisraelhas been building a separation barrier, but that theusis unwilling to pressureisraelto enter into negotiations with hamas, with an honest ambition to make peace. As the palestinian authority pa continues to weaken, the al qaeda terrorist network has strengthened ties with hamas, according to a report written by army reserve lt. Hamas is an iranianbacked palestinian terrorist organization that seeks the. Since he was a small boy, mosab hassan yousef has had an inside view of the deadly terrorist group hamas. Hamas is not a terrorist group fatah, he said, was prepared to lay aside its differences with hamas in order to reject the resolution against. Terrorist and organized crime groups in the triborder. While some hamas recruitment efforts are active and tangible, such as spotting potential recruits at mosques and religious classes, the internet enables terrorist groups to conduct a virtual recruitment drive that, while passive and intangible, has the capacity to reach out to a far larger audience one that can be reached at any time of day. The group curtailed terrorist attacks in february 2005 after agreeing to a temporary period of calm brokered by the pa, and ceased most violence after. Under the antiterrorism act, the government of canada currently lists hamas as a terrorist entity, thus establishing it as a terrorist group, since 2002. It is supported by the governments of syria and iran and many wealthy private individuals in. Hamas is different from terrorist groups like al qaeda and the socalled islamic state is.
Weve been fearing something like this for a long time because there have been elements in the proisraeli lobby accusing muslim groups of raising money for these kinds of purposes, with no evidence whatsoever of diversion of. Foreign terrorist organizations united states department. Unlike global terrorist groups such as al qaeda, hamas has traditionall. Cair describes itself as americas largest islamic civil liberties group, but in 2007, the u. Islamiyyah islamic resistance movement is a palestinian sunniislamic fundamentalist militant organization. Hamas has a reputation of carrying out terrorist acts. Hamas has been named a terrorist organization by the united states and the european union. Hamas has governed the gaza strip since it violently expelled the palestinian authority in 2007. Palestinian islamic jihad counter extremism project. Hamas, a group officially designated since 1994 as a terrorist organization. Updated proscribed terrorist groups or organisations. More than 120 members of congress issue letters of support.
On thursday, the two movements announced they had reached a deal to end a decadelong rift that brought them. Hamas is the main palestinian armed resistance group. Hamass strategy and tactics target three types of audiences. The palestinian islamist group hamas has been declared a terrorist organisation by the european court of justice ecj. Solis sentenced the holy land foundation for relief and development hlf and five of its leaders following their convictions by a federal jury in november 2008 on charges of providing material support to hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Hamas is the main palestinian armed resistance group, but the islamist movement has struggled with governance since assuming control of gaza.
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