The Palestinian militant movement Hamas left Israel on high alert this Saturday, launching a surprise attack using air, sea and ground operations from the Gaza Strip. This is the most serious escalation of the conflict in Israel in recent years, which has already resulted in the death of about 400 people (Palestinians and Israelis) and thousands of injuries. Hamas’ attack on Israel made Saturday the country’s deadliest day in 50 years. But what is Hamas and what caused the conflict with the Israelis?
The desire to create a state instead of Israel
Founded in 1987, Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, emerged during the first Palestinian uprising and seeks to create an Islamic Palestinian state in place of Israel, reports Guide to Combating Terrorism. Backed by Iran, it shares the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, created in Egypt in 1920..
Described as a terrorist organization in several countries
It has a military wing known as the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, which has carried out numerous anti-Israel attacks in both Israel and the Palestinian territories since the 1990s. The attacks included large-scale bombing of Israeli civilian targets, small arms attacks, the use of homemade explosives on roads and rocket attacks, writes Reuters.
Due to the methods and resources used, Hamas was considered a terrorist organization by several countries in 1997. The military group refuses to recognize the State of Israel and opposes the peace agreements reached in the mid-1990s.
Dominates the Gaza Strip
Hamas has dominated the Gaza Strip since 2007, when it succeeded in ousting the Palestinian Authority (which governs the West Bank) from power. Since then, numerous attacks and rounds of negotiations with Israel have followed.
It is part of a regional alliance that includes Iran, Syria and the Shiite Islamic group Hezbollah in Lebanon, which aims to create a Palestinian state in territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 war.
Operation Al-Aqsa Storm: a major escalation of the conflict
On Saturday morning, Hamas announced an escalation of the conflict, saying that it was going to carry out Operation Storm Al-Aqsa, which would involve more than five thousand rockets and various means. Sirens sounded in the cities of Tel Aviv and Beer Sheva.
To date, at least 200 people have died on the Israeli side, and 232 Palestinians have also been killed in Israeli retaliation. Several videos have been circulating on social media showing chaos on both sides of the conflict.
Response to Israeli “atrocities”
According to Hamas spokesman Khaled Kadomi, the group’s military operation is a response to all the atrocities that Palestinians have faced for decades at the hands of Israel.
“We want the international community to stop the atrocities in Gaza, against the Palestinian people, against our holy places like Al-Aqsa. All this is the reason for the start of this battle,” he said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
The Israeli military said some of its civilians and soldiers were taken hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The group suggested and stated that it intended to use the hostages as bargaining chips to demand the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The military group guarantees that it will fight until victory and will not give up anytime soon. “This is not an easy operation. This is an all-out battle. We expect the fighting to continue and the front to expand,” Saleh al-Arouri, a Hamas leader, told Al Jazeera.
Author: Sarah Reis Teixeira This Philippa Novais
Source: CM Jornal
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