What’s Hamas and why is it combating with Israel in Gaza?

Hamas is an armed Palestinian group and political motion within the Gaza Strip. On 7 October 2023 it attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 individuals and taking 251 hostages.

This triggered a large Israeli army offensive in Gaza, which has killed tens of hundreds of Palestinians.

Hamas, which the US, UK, Israel and plenty of different nations have designated as a terrorist organisation, has been severely weakened throughout the battle. Nonetheless, Israel says Hamas nonetheless instructions fighters in areas together with Gaza Metropolis.

What’s Hamas and what are its targets?

Hamas began as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1987. Its identify means Islamic Resistance Motion.

It’s against the existence of Israel on what it says is Palestinian land. It desires a state primarily based on Islam as a substitute and throughout the occupied West Financial institution, East Jerusalem and Gaza.

It has, nonetheless, signalled its willingness to just accept an interim Palestinian state in simply the West Financial institution, East Jerusalem and Gaza, with out renouncing its declare to all of historic Palestine.

Earlier than the 7 October assaults, Hamas was estimated to have about 30,000 fighters, however Israel stated in August 2024 that its forces had killed greater than 17,000 of them. This might not be independently verified.

Hamas turned the only ruler within the Gaza Strip in 2007, after profitable Palestinian elections and violently ousting rivals.

Nonetheless, because of the conflict, the group’s infrastructure and skill to function brazenly have been all however destroyed.

Who’re Hamas’s leaders?

When Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, the group’s essential chief was Ismail Haniyeh. He was primarily based in Qatar, the place the group has its political headquarters.

Haniyeh was assassinated whereas visiting the Iranian capital, Tehran, in July 2024, in an assault which Israel stated it carried out.

He was changed by Yahya Sinwar, who had been chief of Hamas in Gaza since 2017.

Sinwar was killed by Israel Protection Forces (IDF) troopers in Gaza in October 2024.

He was the architect of the 7 October assaults and was Israel’s most wished man.

A number of different high commanders of Hamas have been killed by Israel for the reason that conflict started.

Since Sinwar’s loss of life, Hamas has been led by a five-man council. At its head is believed to be Khalil al-Hayya, Sinwar’s former deputy. Al-Hayya has been primarily based in Qatar since earlier than the October 2023 assault and has led Hamas delegations in oblique ceasefire talks with Israel.

The council additionally contains Khaled Meshaal, the top of Hamas’s relations with Palestinian communities overseas; Zaher Jabarin, the exiled West Financial institution chief; Muhammad Darwish, head of the Shura Council, Hamas’s high decision-making physique; and a fifth particular person whose identification is unknown. All are primarily based in Qatar or Turkey.

In September 2025, Israel carried out strikes concentrating on Hamas leaders together with Al-Hayya in Qatar, in a transfer which obtained worldwide condemnation. 5 Hamas members and a Qatari safety official had been killed, however Hamas stated its leaders survived.

Hamas’s most vital ally is Iran – its greatest backer when it comes to funds, weapons and political assist.

Why did Hamas assault Israel?

Hamas led the deadliest assault on Israel in its historical past, killing about 1,200 individuals, together with greater than 360 younger individuals at a music pageant.

The unprecedented assault despatched shockwaves throughout the nation, as Hamas gunmen focused border communities for hours and took hostages.

Hamas has described the assault as a response to what it says are a long time of Israeli oppression, the killings of Palestinians and years-long blockade of the Gaza Strip.

As Israel ready to mark a 12 months for the reason that assault, al-Hayya justified it by saying it had put the plight of the Palestinians on the world’s political agenda.

“It was obligatory to boost an alarm on the planet to inform them that right here there’s a individuals who have a trigger and have calls for that should be met,” he instructed the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen.

Hamas has additionally stated the assault was a response to what it claims are Israeli efforts to take over the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem – Islam’s third holiest web site. Hamas additionally desires the discharge of hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

The 12 months main as much as the assault was additionally the deadliest within the occupation of the West Financial institution, for the reason that UN started recording information in 2005. By the top of the 12 months at the least 505 Palestinians had been killed there, principally by Israeli troopers and settlers. In the identical 12 months, 30 Israelis had been additionally killed within the West Financial institution.

All Palestinian factions and events oppose Israel’s presence within the West Financial institution, in addition to occupied East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. They need the land to be a part of a future impartial state, one thing backed by the overwhelming majority of the worldwide neighborhood.

Israel’s occupation of the land and settlements it has constructed there may be unlawful underneath worldwide legislation. Nonetheless, Israel’s present authorities doesn’t recognise the appropriate of the Palestinians to have their very own state, arguing that it could be a safety menace. It additionally claims a historic proper to the West Financial institution.

Analysts have prompt the assault might even have been timed to derail recognition of Israel by Saudi Arabia, which was thought-about possible on the time.

What was Israel’s response to Hamas’s assaults?

Israel launched a large army offensive towards Hamas in Gaza following the 7 October assault. It started with air strikes and was adopted by a floor invasion.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israel’s goals included destroying Hamas, returning the hostages and ensuring Israel can’t be threatened in future.

As of twenty-two September, greater than 65,000 individuals in Gaza – principally civilians, about half of whom had been girls and kids – have been killed within the combating, in keeping with the Hamas-run well being ministry.

Some 460 Israeli troopers have been killed throughout the conflict, the Israeli army says.

In the meantime Israel has begun an offensive to totally occupy Gaza Metropolis which, it says, stays Hamas’s “essential stronghold”. The offensive has pressured tons of of hundreds of Palestinians to flee town.

The operation marks a serious escalation in Israel’s two-year army marketing campaign.

The UN says a lot of the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza have been pressured from their houses and that Gaza’s buildings and infrastructure have suffered catastrophic injury.

A United Nations (UN) fee of inquiry stated that Israel has dedicated genocide in Gaza. The UN’s high courtroom – the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice – is presently analyzing a declare of genocide in a case introduced by South Africa. Israel says the case is “wholly unfounded”.

UN-backed consultants additionally say there may be famine in Gaza Metropolis and surrounding areas, situations which it says are “solely man-made”. Israel known as the consultants’ declaration an “outright lie”.

Each Israel and Hamas have been accused of committing conflict crimes and human rights abuses.

The UN Human Rights Council says each side have mounted assaults towards civilian populations and are liable for “homicide or wilful killings”. Each have rejected the report’s findings.

Talks aimed toward reaching a ceasefire and launch of the remaining hostages have stalled. A month-long ceasefire in early 2025 noticed the discharge of 30 dwelling and eight lifeless hostages in alternate for about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

As of 17 September, there have been 48 remaining hostages held by Hamas, of whom 20 had been believed to be alive.

Have Israel and Hamas fought earlier than?

Since its founding, Hamas has carried out bombings, rocket assaults and shootings, killing civilians and troopers in Israel.

Israel has carried out operations towards Hamas in Gaza and its cells in East Jerusalem and the West Financial institution, killing its fighters. In such operations, Israel has killed many Palestinian civilians.

The 2 sides have additionally fought a number of main conflicts – in 2008-09, 2012 and 2014.

The final main battle between the 2 sides was in Could 2021, which led to a ceasefire after 11 days.

Each spherical of combating has seen individuals killed on each side, the overwhelming majority of them Palestinians in Gaza.

The place is the Gaza Strip and the way huge is it?

The Gaza Strip is a 41km (25-mile) lengthy and 10km-wide territory between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.

It was a part of a proposed Arab state underneath the unique UN partition plan in 1947. Gaza was then occupied by Egypt within the conflict that adopted Israel’s creation, then captured by Israel throughout the 1967 Six-Day Warfare.

Israel withdrew its troops and about 7,000 settlers from the territory in 2005, although the UN nonetheless considers the land to be occupied.

Gaza is likely one of the world’s most densely populated locations.

Simply over three-quarters of its inhabitants are registered refugees, or descendants of refugees, the UN says.

Even earlier than the most recent conflict between Israel and Hamas, the territory had one of many highest unemployment charges on the planet, with most of its inhabitants dwelling beneath the poverty line and relying on meals assist to outlive.

Israel controls Gaza’s airspace, its shoreline and the shared border, in addition to the motion of individuals and items.