Hamas/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

Chair of Hamas's Political Bureau (deceased)

Saleh al-Arouri

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

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)

Hamas

Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood that emerged in the Gaza Strip in the late 1980s. The group’s ideology blends Islamism and Palestinian nationalism and seeks the destruction of Israel and the creation of an Islamic state.

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Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is a Palestinian Islamist terrorist group sponsored by Iran and Syria. Founded in 1979 as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, PIJ is the second-largest terrorist group in Gaza today (after Hamas).

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Muslim Brotherhood in the Palestinian Territories

The Muslim Brotherhood’s presence in the Palestinian territories dates back to the 1960s, when the group established a set of charities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 

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Friends and Enablers of Hamas: State Actors

This resource details how efforts to degrade Hamas politically and militarily are seriously undermined by ongoing support the group receives from at least six national governments: Iran, Qatar, Turkey, North Korea, Russia, and China.

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News and Blogs

News

EU Lawmakers Call to Outlaw Samidoun at European Parliament Conference

"Meanwhile, Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project explained that existing EU legal frameworks are inadequate for addressing the growing problem. Schindler described Samidoun as a network that "allow[s] for the cooperation between…

News

WTOP: The Hunt: Mysterious bus explosions in Tel Aviv send ominous message to the West

"Three empty buses exploded on the southern edge of Tel Aviv in Israel recently.In this week’s episode of The Hunt with WTOP National Security Correspondent J.J. Green, Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at the Counter Extremism Project,…

News

Deutsche Welle TV: Interview with CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler on Israel-Hamas hostage deal

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed: "Hamas has accused Israel of blocking aid to Gaza to influence ceasefire negotiations, with the militant group saying things were back to square one. Could this derail the whole deal? "

News

Jewish Onliner: Counter Extremism Project’s New Report on the "Friends" and "Enablers" Keeping Hamas Afloat

"On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a devastating attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people. In response, the U.S. and its allies sought to isolate the Palestinian militant group, designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Yet, despite…

News

Tagesspiegel: A Second Gaza?: What Israel Could Be Aiming For With Its Military Operation In The West Bank

“The detonation in Tel Aviv could be heard for miles. On Friday night, bombs exploded in three empty buses in the towns of Holon and Bat Yam… Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the international Counter Extremism Project, sees a direct…

News

Express: Hamas' six biggest supporters revealed as 60 hostages remain in Gaza

"Hamas' six biggest allies have been identified in a new study as the group continues to benefit from a "well-established international support system". A bombshell new report by the Counter Extremism Project (CEP), shown exclusively to the Express…

News

BR24: Arrest – The Networks Of Islamists From The North Caucasus

“An 18-year-old Chechen was arrested in Brandenburg who, according to ARD information, is said to have planned an Islamist-motivated attack on the Israeli embassy in Berlin. Anti-Semitism within the Chechen community is particularly pronounced, said…

News

The Guardian: Trump’s Gaza plan unites jihadist and far-right circles, experts warn

"Joshua Fisher-Birch, a terrorism analyst at the non-profit Counter Extremism Project, said that a prospective Gaza occupation has angered the far right “more than any other issue has in 2025 so far”.“White supremacist online propagandists have…

CounterPoint Blog

CounterPoint Brief: The U.S.-Jordan Struggle to Extradite Hamas Member Ahlam al-Tamimi

(New York, N.Y.) — President Trump and King Abdullah II of Jordan are set to meet this week, reigniting the issue of Hamas member Ahlam al-Tamimi’s extradition to the United States. Earlier this month, reports emerged in Arab media that Jordan…

Press Release

CounterPoint Brief: The U.S.-Jordan Struggle to Extradite Hamas Member Ahlam al-Tamimi

(New York, N.Y.) — President Trump and King Abdullah II of Jordan are set to meet this week, reigniting the issue of Hamas member Ahlam al-Tamimi’s extradition to the United States. Earlier this month, reports emerged in Arab media that Jordan…

Daily Dose

Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.

Fact:

On April 3, 2017, the day Vladimir Putin was due to visit the city, a suicide bombing was carried out in the St. Petersburg metro, killing 15 people and injuring 64. An al-Qaeda affiliate, Imam Shamil Battalion, claimed responsibility. 

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