The Hamas group, a Palestinian group was founded in 1987 during the first Palestinian Uprising. This group shares the Islamist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood established back in Egypt. This group has run the Gaza strip since 2007.
The Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian Parliamentary election, the last time the elections were held. Hamas has been in constant conflict with Israel involving attacks on Israel and Gaza by opposing sides.
In the 1990s, PLO negotiated a peace treaty wgich the Hamas failed to recognise the Israel as a state and rubbished the Oslo Peace Accords.
Hamas has an armed wing called the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, which has sent gunmen and suicide bombers into Israel.
Hamas is also part of a regional alliance comprising Iran, Syria and the Shi’ite Islamist group Hezbollah in Lebanon, which all broadly oppose U.S. policy in the Middle East and Israel. It also has supporters across the Palestinian territories, and it has leaders spread across the Middle East in countries including Qatar.
In 1988 founding charter called for the destruction of Israel, although Hamas leaders have at times offered a long-term truce, or Hudna in Arabic, with Israel in return for a viable Palestinian state on all Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel regards this as a ruse.
The Hamas today took on Israel launching attacks. Abu Obeida(Hamas Spokesman) has issued a statement saying:
“We bring good news to our prisoners and our people that the Qassam Brigades have dozens of captured officers and soldiers in their hands, and they have been secured in safe places and resistance tunnels.”
Israeli medics have said that the death toll has risen to 100 as more people have been injured following the Hamas attacks. The zionist occupation destroyed the headquarters of Shehab News Agency after bombing the Palestine Tower on Al-Shuhadaa Street in Gaza City.