Summary
- Hamas, founded in 1987 during the first Palestinian Intifada, is backed by Iran and shares an Islamist ideology with the Muslim Brotherhood.
- It controls the Gaza Strip since 2007 and has an armed wing called the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
- The group refuses to recognize Israel and has engaged in armed resistance against Israeli occupation.
- Hamas operates with a twin power structure, led politically by Ismail Haniyeh and militarily by Yahya Sinwar.