Hamas and the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict

As of May 21, 2021, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) had launched more than 4,000 rockets toward southern Israel, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem, killing at 12 and wounding at least 330. In Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry reported at least 232 people had been killed. Israel claims at least 120 of those people killed belonged to Hamas while 25 belonged to PIJ. On May 20, Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, which went into effect on May 21. The fighting was the worst between Hamas and Israel since their 2014 war.

Leaders

Ismail Haniyeh

Chief of Political Bureau, former deputy leader of Hamas, Hamas’s former prime minister of Gaza, former prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (deceased)

Khaled Meshaal

Head of Hamas’s Diaspora Office; Deputy Leader; Former Chief of Hamas’s Political Bureau

Yahya Sinwar

Chief of Hamas's Political Bureau

Saleh al-Arouri

Deputy chair of Hamas’s political bureau; West Bank leader

Moussa Mohammed Abu Marzouk

Member of Hamas’s Political Bureau; deputy leader of Diaspora Office

Mohammed Deif

Chief of Hamas's military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades (deceased)

Ziad al-Nakhalah

Secretary-General

Ramadan Abdullah Shallah

Former Secretary-General (deceased)

News and Blogs

Daily Dose

Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.

Fact:

On October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded southern Israel where, in the space of eight hours, hundreds of armed terrorists perpetrated mass crimes of brutality, rape, and torture against men, women and children. In the biggest attack on Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, 1,200 were killed, and 251 were taken hostage into Gaza—where 101 remain. One year on, antisemitic incidents have increased by record numbers. 

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