Understanding Hamas: Attacks, Aid, and the Call for Palestinian Statehood

Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, carried out a devastating attack on Israel, leading to a war with hundreds of casualties. Hamas is committed to armed resistance against Israel and the creation of an Islamic Palestinian state. The group receives material and financial support from Iran, which openly admits to supporting Palestinian groups in Gaza. Hamas operates primarily in Gaza but also has a presence in the West Bank and other Middle Eastern capitals. It formed in 1987 as the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and is designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iran-backed group, both oppose Israel but follow different divisions of Islam.