HAMAS formed in late 1987 at the beginning of the first Palestinian intifada (uprising). Its roots are in the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, and it is supported by a robust sociopolitical structure inside the Palestinian territories. The group’s charter calls for establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in place of Israel and rejects all agreements made between the PLO and Israel. HAMAS’ strength is concentrated in the Gaza Strip and areas of the West Bank.
HAMAS has a military wing known as the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades that has conducted many anti-Israel attacks in both Israel and the Palestinian territories since the 1990s. These attacks have included large-scale bombings against Israeli civilian targets, small-arms attacks, improvised roadside explosives, and rocket attacks.
The group in early 2006 won legislative elections in the Palestinian territories, ending the secular Fatah party’s hold on the Palestinian Authority and challenging Fatah’s leadership of the Palestinian nationalist movement. HAMAS continues to refuse to recognize or renounce violent resistance against Israel and in early 2008 conducted a suicide bombing, killing one civilian, as well as numerous rocket and mortar attacks that have injured civilians. The US Government has designated HAMAS a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
HAMAS in June 2008 entered into a six-month agreement with Israel that significantly reduced rocket attacks. Following the temporary calm, HAMAS resumed its rocket attacks, which precipitated a major Israeli military operation in late December 2008. After destroying much of HAMAS’ infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, Israel declared a unilateral cease-fire on 18 January 2009.
HAMAS and Fatah in April 2011 agreed to form an interim government and hold elections, reaffirming this pledge in February 2012. HAMAS departed its long-time political headquarters in Damascus in February and dispersed throughout the region as Syrian President Bashar al-Asad’s crackdown on opposition in the country made remaining in Syria untenable for the group. In May 2012, HAMAS claimed to have established a 300-strong force to prevent other Palestinian resistance groups from firing rockets into Israel. Conflict broke out again in November. While HAMAS had worked to maintain the cease-fire brokered by Egypt that ended the week-long conflict, other Palestinian militant groups flouted the cease-fire with sporadic rocket attacks throughout 2013 and 2014. Fatah and HAMAS in April 2014 agreed to form a technocratic unity government headed by PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and to hold legislative elections within six months. HAMAS has not renounced violent resistance against Israel even while pursuing reconciliation with Fatah.
In July 2014, the uneasy calm between HAMAS and Israel broke down completely after three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and killed in the West Bank in June—deaths ascribed by Israel to HAMAS—and a Palestinian was killed by Israeli settlers in revenge. Retaliatory rocket attacks by HAMAS’s military wing and other Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip escalated into the longest and most lethal conflict with Israel since 2009.
Leaders from six powerful nations, including the United Kingdom, convened a telephonic conference to deliberate on the escalating violence and its mounting human toll around the worsening crisis between Israel and Hamas. British leader Rishi Sunak participated in talks that also featured US President Joe Biden, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.
The focus of this important conference was multifaceted but united in endorsing Israel's entitlement to “its right to defend itself against terrorism", as per an official statement by PM Sunak.
The leaders underscored the critical importance of safeguarding civilian lives and adhering to international humanitarian norms. In a sign of incremental progress, the conference hailed the recent liberation of two hostages and urged for the swift release of those still held captive.
As the number of casualties escalates, affecting numerous Palestinians in Gaza and several hundred Israelis, the assembled leaders turned their focus to practical concerns. They collectively committed to orchestrating sustained efforts for the safe and uninterrupted provision of crucial humanitarian assistance, such as healthcare, water and sustenance, to Gaza's Palestinian population.
At least 4,385 Palestinians and more than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed since the Hamas attacks in southern Israel on October 7, as per Al Jazeera.
Meanwhile, nations beyond the six are not merely observers. India has sent a substantial 38.5 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the Sinai region in Egypt, targeted at alleviating the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The aid includes essential items that will help meet immediate needs.
As the US strengthens its armed forces in the Middle East by deploying more anti-aircraft systems, both Canada and France have stated that Israel isn't to blame for the recent blast at a Gaza Strip medical facility. On the other side of the diplomatic spectrum, Devlet Bahceli, a significant political partner of Turkey's President Erdogan, has given a 24-hour deadline, demanding action if Israel continues its current activities.
The conflict has also stirred public sentiment worldwide. The United Kingdom witnessed one of the most massive gatherings in recent history with around 100,000 protestors demanding an end to Israel's military actions.
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