Crazy Water Aqua Fun Park was a water park in the Gaza Strip . The park opened in May 2010 and was burned down by masked men in September 2010, after being closed by the Palestinian Hamas de facto government for allowing men and women to mingle. In July, one Australian newspaper called it "the new sensation" among Gaza's "privileged."
117-558: Mohammed Al-Araj , a former economics minister for the Hamas de facto government in the Gaza Strip, was one of the owners of the park. Two thousand families visited the Crazy Water Park during the first four days that it was open. The landscaped water park, west of Gaza City , featured 3 swimming pools, a canal 100 meters (300') long, three water slides , ponds with pedalos , a restaurant,
234-408: A truce (for a period of 10–100 years ) based on the 1967 borders are seen by many as being consistent with a two-state solution , while others state that Hamas retains the long-term objective of establishing one state in former Mandatory Palestine . While the 1988 Hamas charter was widely described as antisemitic , Hamas's 2017 charter removed the antisemitic language and said Hamas's struggle
351-657: A "clash with the enemies", a "struggle against Zionism" and "conflict with Israel". They wrote that 'Palestine', that is all of the territory that belonged to the British Mandate for Palestine (that is, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea ), should be "liberated" from " Zionism " and transformed into an Islamic Waqf (Islamic charitable endowment ) in which "followers of all religions can coexist in security and safety". Practically speaking, Hamas
468-409: A 10-year truce, or hudna , to Israel, contingent on the creation of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin indicated that such truce could be extended for 30, 40, or even 100 years, but it would never signal a recognition of Israel. A Hamas official explained that having an indefinite truce with Israel doesn't contradict Hamas's lack of recognition of Israel, comparing it to
585-541: A Jew takes my home and expels me from it, I will fight him. I don't fight other countries because I want to be at peace with them, I love all people and wish peace for them, even the Jews. The Jews lived with us all of our lives and we never assaulted them, and they held high positions in government and ministries. But if they take my home and make me a refugee like 4 million Palestinians in exile? Who has more right to this land? The Russian immigrant who left this land 2000 years ago or
702-768: A Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza . Yassin later added, the hudna could be renewed, even for longer periods, but would never signal a recognition of Israel. In 2005, Hamas signed the Palestinian Cairo Declaration , which confirms "the right of the Palestinian people to resistance in order to end the occupation, establish a Palestinian state with full sovereignty with Jerusalem as its capital" (etc.), aiming to reconcile several Palestinian factions but not describing specific steps or strategies towards Israel. In March 2006, after winning an absolute majority in
819-624: A Palestinian state on all of the territory that belonged to the British Mandate for Palestine (that is, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea ). In 2006, Hamas signed the Palestinian Prisoners' Document which supports the quest for a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders. This document also recognized authority of the President of the Palestinian National Authority to negotiate with Israel. Hamas also signed
936-580: A ban on women receiving salon treatment from male hairdressers , issuing orders by Interior Minister Fathi Hammad and threatening offenders with arrest and trial. The group backed down after an outcry. In February 2011, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights , Hamas attempted to renew the ban, interrogating the five male hairdressers in Gaza City and forcing them to sign declarations that they wouldn't work in women's salons. According to one of
1053-513: A cafe, and a quiet area shaded by a tent where adults could sit on carpets and listen to music. The atmosphere was secular, with popular secular tunes playing over the loudspeakers and women in international-style clothing. A lifting of the government ban on women smoking in public made it legal for women to smoke the popular nargilas at the Park's cafe. The park was built with materials assembled from war-torn buildings as well as materials brought through
1170-538: A ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war , if humanitarian corridors would be opened, and aid would be allowed into Gaza, Hamas would be "ready for political negotiations for a two-state solution with Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine". Haniyeh also praised the support of movements in Yemen , Iraq , Syria and Lebanon for the Palestinian struggle. In January 2024, Khaled Mashal , top Hamas leader until 2017 and now heading
1287-598: A chance to escape from the stress. We brought 'air' to the people." According to The Guardian , the water park was part of an entertainment "circuit" for wealthy Palestinians in Gaza, which includes seaside cafes, browsing at the Gaza Mall and riding at the Faisal Equestrian Club , adjacent to the Park. The Park had 106 employees, not counting about 80 vendors supplying services and goods such as food. Park employees earned
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#17330851758011404-448: A fifty-year armistice. Neither Washington nor Israel replied. Nuancing sheikh Ahmed Yassin 's statements before 2004 about a hudna (truce) with Israel (see above), Hamas's (former) senior adviser Ahmed Yousef has said (at unknown date) that a " hudna " (truce, armistice) is more than a ceasefire and "obliges parties to use the period to seek a permanent, non-violent resolution to their differences." On 28 June 2006, Hamas signed
1521-587: A key element of the Palestinian Nationalist movement. Beginning in October 2006, during the Fatah-Hamas conflict , and continuing into mid-2007, dozens of Internet cafes and music shops in Gaza were attacked by unknown assailants who detonated small bombs outside businesses at night, causing damage but no injuries. Ramzi Shaheen , the Gaza police spokesman, told Ha'aretz in 2007 that the method of operation
1638-677: A legitimate actor..." However, Kear goes on to note that without expressly stating it Hamas agreed to respect the Oslo Accords, and by extension Israel's existence: "The signing of the 2007 Mecca Agreement also meant that Hamas had met two of the three stipulations set down by Israel and the Quartet: recognising Israel and respecting all previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements." Graham Usher said that while Hamas did not consider Israel to be legitimate, it accepted Israel as political reality. Tareq Baconi explains that Hamas' implicit recognition of Israel
1755-452: A letter to US President George W. Bush (via University of Maryland 's Jerome Segal ), stating: "We are so concerned about stability and security in the area that we don't mind having a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders and offering a truce for many years", and asking Bush for a dialogue with the Hamas government. A similar message he sent to Israel's leaders. Haniyeh had reportedly proposed
1872-472: A perimeter fence. They also used knives, slashing a plastic swimming pool, blow-up slide and toys. John Ging called it a "cowardly and despicable" attack. Hamas condemned the attack and said it was investigating. The "Islamic Endowment Ministry" created by the Hamas administration has deployed Virtue Committee members to warn people of the dangers of dating , card playing and immodest dress. The government has also imposed temporary closures on facilities like
1989-509: A permanent peace agreement. In 2006, Ismail Haniyeh, shortly after being elected as Prime Minister , sent messages both to US President George W. Bush and to Israel's leaders, offering a long-term truce. Neither Israel nor the United States responded. Haniyeh's proposal reportedly was a fifty-year armistice with Israel, if a Palestinian state is created along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. A Hamas official added that
2106-473: A political party if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders. The Associated Press considered this a "significant concession", but presumed that Israel would not even want to consider this scenario following the October 2023 attack. Islamization of Gaza Political Militant [REDACTED] Islam portal Islamism in the Gaza Strip involves efforts to promote and impose Islamic laws and traditions in
2223-425: A political scientist at Al Azhar University , wrote in 2008 that Hamas talks "of hudna [temporary ceasefire], not of peace or reconciliation with Israel. They believe over time they will be strong enough to liberate all historic Palestine." Some scholars have noted that alongside offering a long-term truce, Hamas retains its objective of establishing one state in former Mandatory Palestine . Hamas originally proposed
2340-535: A previously unknown militant group calling itself " The Free of the Homeland " issued a statement criticizing the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), for running camps in the Gaza Strip "teaching schoolgirls fitness, dancing and immorality". Two days later, about 20 men armed with assault rifles attacked a UNRWA-run summer camp. The assailants tore up large plastic tents and burned storage facilities at
2457-592: A state, it considered the existence of Israel as " amr waqi " (or fait accompli , meaning something that has happened and cannot be changed). He called this " de facto recognition" of Israel. According to Martin Kear, Israel treats "any form of resistance from Palestinians as acts of terrorism", and therefore responds to any resistance with extraordinary force. In contrast, writes Kear, Hamas operationalizes "...its resistance to Israeli occupation through its invocation of jihad ... Accordingly, Hamas refuses to recognise Israel as
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#17330851758012574-478: A two-state solution. Ahmed Yassin , the founder of Hamas, said in a 1988 interview, reacting to accusations that 'Hamas hate Jews': "We don't hate Jews and fight Jews because they are Jewish. They are a people of faith and we are a people of faith, and we love all people of faith. If my brother, from my own mother and father and my own faith takes my home and expels me from it, I will fight him. I will fight my cousin if he takes my home and expels me from it. So when
2691-891: Is "no need" for Christians in Gaza to maintain a large number of institutions in the territory and demanded that Hamas "must work to impose an Islamic rule or it will lose the authority it has and the will of the people." In October 2007, Rami Khader Ayyad , owner of Gaza's only Christian bookstore, was abducted, beaten and murdered, after his bookstore was firebombed by an unidentified group attacking targets associated with Western influence. According to Ayyad's family and neighbors, he had regularly received anonymous death threats from people angered by his missionary work. Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas in Gaza, condemned Ayyad's killing and said Hamas "would not allow anyone to sabotage Muslim-Christian relations." Hamas officials made visits to Christian community, and its spokesman promised to bring those responsible to justice. No group claimed responsibility for
2808-666: Is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islamist political organisation with a military wing called the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades . It has governed the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip since 2007. The Hamas movement was founded by Palestinian Islamic scholar Ahmed Yassin in 1987, after the outbreak of the First Intifada against the Israeli occupation . It emerged from his 1973 Mujama al-Islamiya Islamic charity affiliated with
2925-418: Is and was at war with Israel's army (later also attacking Israeli civilians) since the spring of 1989 , initially as part of the First Intifada , a general protest movement that gradually turned more riotous and violent. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin , founder of Hamas, who died in 2004 ( killed by Israel ), has at unreported date offered Israel a ten-year hudna (truce, armistice) in return for establishment of
3042-457: Is in contrast to most Israeli political parties who have long opposed the idea of a Palestinian state . The 1988 Hamas charter proclaims that jihad against Jews is required until Judgement Day. The "governing" 1988 charter of Hamas was said, in 2018, to "openly dedicate(s) Hamas to genocide against the Jewish people", referring to the Hamas 1988 charter, article 7. More authors have characterized
3159-480: Is not the jurisdiction of one faction, nor the government, but a decision for the Palestinian people." Since then until today, spokesmen of Hamas seem to disagree about their attitudes towards Israel, and debates are running as to whether the original 1988 Hamas charter has since March 2006 become obsolete and irrelevant or on the contrary still spells out Hamas's genuine and ultimate goals (see: 1988 Hamas charter, § Relevance ). The March 2006 Hamas legislative program
3276-459: The 2006 Palestinian legislative elections , Hamas published its government program in which Hamas claimed sovereignty for the Palestinian territories but did not repeat its claim to all of mandatory Palestine , instead declared their willingness to have contacts with Israel "in all mundane affairs: business, trade, health, and labor". The program further stated: "The question of recognizing Israel
3393-454: The 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel . Hamas has promoted Palestinian nationalism in an Islamic context . While initially seeking a state in all of former Mandatory Palestine it began acquiescing to 1967 borders in the agreements it signed with Fatah in 2005 , 2006 and 2007 . In 2017, Hamas released a new charter that supported a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders without recognizing Israel. Hamas's repeated offers of
3510-711: The Cairo Declaration in 2005, which emphasized the goal of ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a Palestinian state. On 2 May 2017, Khaled Mashal , chief of the Hamas Political Bureau , presented a new Charter, in which Hamas accepted the establishment of a Palestinian state "on the basis of June 4, 1967 " ( West Bank , Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem ) acceptable. But the new Charter did not recognize Israel nor relinquish Palestinian claims to all of historical Palestine. Many scholars saw Hamas' acceptance of
3627-770: The Fatah–Hamas Doha Agreement , agreeing (again) to form an interim national consensus government, which (again) did not materialize. Still in February 2012, according to the Palestinian authority (either the Fatah branch in West Bank or the Hamas branch in Gaza), Hamas forswore the use of violence against Israel ("ceasefire", an Israeli news website called it), followed by a few weeks without violence between Hamas and Israel. But violence between Israel and Palestinian militant groups, in
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3744-462: The Gaza Strip , both by the ruling Hamas government and other Islamist anti-Hamas groups in the region. The influence of Islamic groups in the Gaza Strip has grown since the 1980s. Following Hamas ' victory in the 2006 Palestinian elections and a conflict with supporters of the rival Fatah party, Hamas took complete control of the Gaza Strip, and declared the "end of secularism and heresy in
3861-403: The Gaza Strip smuggling tunnels . Construction was completed in six months. Admission was 10 shekels , the equivalent of about $ 2.60 (£ 2.13) as of mid-2010, but using the water slide costs another 5 shekels, and going into the pool costs an extra 20 shekels. The park cost $ 2 million to build. According to Ayman Barawi, the Park's financial manager, "This park is a form of escape. People need
3978-415: The Hamas Political Bureau (thus Hamas' highest leader), again stated that a state "Israel" living next to "a Palestinian state on the borders of 1967" would be acceptable for Hamas – but only if a referendum among "the Palestinian people" would endorse this arrangement. In November 2010, Ismail Haniyeh , also proposed a Palestinian state on 1967 borders, though added three further conditions: "resolution of
4095-590: The Irish Republican Army 's willingness to accept a permanent armistice with the United Kingdom without recognizing the UK's sovereignty over Northern Ireland. Whether Hamas would recognize Israel is debated. Hamas leaders have emphasized they do not recognize Israel, but indicate they "have a de facto acceptance of its presence". According to some scholars, Hamas accepted the 1967 borders and thus acknowledged
4212-433: The Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip , the status of Jerusalem , Israeli settlements , borders, water rights, the permit regime , Palestinian freedom of movement , and the Palestinian right of return . Hamas has attacked Israeli civilians, including using suicide bombings , as well as launching rockets at Israeli cities. A number of countries, including Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand,
4329-602: The Muslim Brotherhood . In 2006 Palestinian legislative election , Hamas secured a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council by campaigning on promises of a corruption-free government and advocating for resistance as a means to liberate Palestine from Israeli occupation. In the Battle of Gaza (2007) , Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip from rival Palestinian faction Fatah , and has since governed
4446-617: The Palestinian National Authority , said: "We have no problem with a sovereign Palestinian state over all our lands within the 1967 borders, living in calm." In February 2007, Hamas signed the Fatah–Hamas Mecca Agreement , stressing "the importance of national unity as basis for (...) confronting the occupation" and "activate and reform the PLO ", but without further details about how to confront or deal with Israel. At
4563-483: The Palestinian National Authority , warned the Palestinian people against Hamas: "Hamas have brought Hizballah and Iran... This is a struggle against the Emirate of Darkness and Backwardness. Gaza will turn into a Taliban-style Islamic emirate with Iranian and Syrian support." Al-Ayyam columnist, Abd Al-Nasser Al-Najjar, called Hamas "the new Taliban" and wrote: "How will the mini-state of the new Taliban [i.e. Hamas] manage
4680-728: The Palestinian National Council or a general referendum "held in the homeland and the Diaspora". Leila Seurat also notes that this document "implicitly recognized the June 1967 borders, agreed on the construction of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as a capital and accepted limitations to the resistance in the territories occupied in 1967", and was produced following consultations with the entire Political Bureau. In an August 2006 interview with The New York Times , Ismail Haniyeh , senior political leader of Hamas and then Prime Minister of
4797-539: The second version of (originally) 'the Palestinians' Prisoners Document' which supports the quest for a Palestinian state "on all territories occupied in 1967". This document also recognized the PLO as "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people", and states that "the negotiations" should be conducted by PLO and President of the Palestinian National Authority and eventual agreements must be ratified by either
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4914-578: The "repression" of civil society and "severe violations of personal freedom". Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh wrote in 2009 that "Hamas is gradually turning the Gaza Strip into a Taliban -style Islamic entity". According to Mkhaimar Abusada, a political-science professor at Gaza's Al-Azhar University , "Ruling by itself, Hamas can stamp its ideas on everyone (...) Islamizing society has always been part of Hamas strategy." Successful coercion of women by sectors of society to wear Islamic dress or hijab has been reported in Gaza where Mujama' al-Islami ,
5031-479: The 1967 borders as a tacit acceptance of another entity on the other side while others state that Hamas retains the long-term objective of establishing one state in former Mandatory Palestine . Hamas has repeatedly offered Israel a hudna , Arabic word for armistice , of varying durations (50 years, even a 100 years ). During the hudna both the Israelis and Palestinians would refrain from any violent attacks on
5148-536: The 1980s, it emerged as a powerful political factor, challenging the influence of the PLO , whose Fatah faction it had played a core role in creating. In December 1987, the Brotherhood adopted a more nationalist and activist line under the name of Hamas. Hamas was initially discretely supported by Israel as a counter-balance to the secular PLO . During the 1990s and early 2000s, the organization conducted numerous suicide bombings and other attacks against Israel. In
5265-550: The 1988 charter with those that appear in The Protocols of the Elders of Zion . Hamas has called for the annihilation of Israel, and has stated that to be necessary for creating a pan-Islamic empire. On the other hand, Hamas's 2017 charter removed the anti-Semitic language, saying that their struggle is against Zionism and not Jews, while also advancing goals for a Palestinian state which are seen by many as being consistent with
5382-469: The Arab and Islamic nation". "We are called a nation of martyrs and we are proud to sacrifice martyrs". Hamad called the creation of the Jewish state "illogical": "(...) We are the victims of the occupation. Therefore, nobody should blame us for the things we do". On 1 November 2023, Ismail Haniyeh , then incumbent highest Hamas leader (but assassinated by Israel 31 July 2024 ), stated that if Israel agreed to
5499-896: The Crazy Water Park as one of a group of Hamas business ventures operating since the late 2000s. According to the Reuters , the resort was built by a "Hamas-linked charity," According to Egyptian journalist Ashraf Abu Al-Houl writing in Al-Ahram Weekly , the park was one among a rapidly growing group of Gaza leisure parks, including Zahrat al-Madain , the Al-Bustan resort and the Bisan City tourist village , so many of which were completed between his visit to Gaza in February 2010 and his return in July 2010 as to make Gaza "almost unrecognizable." He continued, "a sense of absolute prosperity prevails, as manifested by
5616-475: The Fatah movement from the Gaza Strip, took control there , and since then Hamas occasionally fired rockets from the Gaza Strip on Israel, purportedly to retaliate Israeli aggression against the people of Gaza. In April 2008, former US President Jimmy Carter met with Khaled Mashal , the recognized Hamas leader since 2004. Mashal said to Carter, Hamas would "accept a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders " and accept
5733-522: The Gaza Strip , killing over 42,000 Palestinians, 52% of them women and children according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. On 31 July 2024, Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran , after attending the inauguration ceremony of Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian . In August 2024, Yahya Sinwar , the leader of Hamas in Gaza, was elected chairman of the group, replacing Haniyeh. Per Hamas officials, he
5850-565: The Gaza Strip , with the aim of securing the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel (as part of a prisoner swap). Hamas said its attack was in response to Israel's continued occupation , blockade of Gaza , and settlements expansion , as well as alleged threats to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the plight of Palestinians. There are also reports of sexual violence by Hamas militants, allegations that Hamas has denied. Israel responded by invading
5967-566: The Gaza Strip and southern Israel, also involving Hamas, would soon resume . On 1 May 2017, in a press conference in Doha ( Qatar ) presenting a new charter , Khaled Mashal , chief of the Hamas Political Bureau (thus acknowledged as to be highest Hamas leader), declared that, though Hamas considered the establishment of a Palestinian state "on the basis of June 4, 1967 " ( West Bank , Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem being not under Israeli reign) acceptable, Hamas would in that case still not recognise
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#17330851758016084-534: The Gaza Strip – the suppression of social, cultural, and press freedoms that do not suit Hamas's view[s] – is an egregious deed that must be opposed. It is the reenactment, under a religious guise, of the experience of [other] totalitarian regimes and dictatorships." According to Francesca Giovannini of the University of California Berkeley, a growing number of analysts have denounced openly the "systematic, massive and explicit efforts" at 'Talibanization' led by Hamas in
6201-467: The Gaza Strip". For the first time since the Sudanese coup of 1989 that brought Omar al-Bashir to power, a Muslim Brotherhood group rules a significant geographic territory. Gaza human-rights groups accuse Hamas of restricting many freedoms. Ismael Haniyeh officially denied accusations that Hamas intended to establish an Islamic emirate. However, Jonathan Schanzer wrote that in two years following
6318-405: The Gaza Strip's first major hip-hop concert, which it viewed as immoral conduct. It said organizers failed to get a permit. In 2010, human rights activists said that Hamas stepped up its efforts to impose strict Islamic teachings in the Gaza Strip. Crazy Water Park , one of the Gaza Strip's most popular entertainment sites, was closed down by Hamas for allowing mixed bathing . Two weeks later,
6435-478: The Gaza Strip. Israeli-Arab journalist Khaled Abu Toameh wrote in 2009 that Hamas is gradually turning the Gaza Strip into a Taliban -style Islamic entity. In the same year, Martin Peretz , editor-in-chief of The New Republic , wrote that: The fact is that Hamas is a Taliban state, as one Israeli diplomat put it. This is almost an epiphany, a clarifying truth. Hamas operates against its Palestinian enemies like
6552-473: The Hamas diaspora office – in contradiction with Haniyeh's proclamation from November 2023 – repeated his stance from 1 May 2017: a (preliminary) Palestinian state "on the 1967 borders", that is "21 per cent of Palestine", would be accepted by Hamas but not as the permanent "two-state solution" which "The West" since a long time envisions and promotes; "our Palestinian project" remains "our right in Palestine from
6669-560: The Hamas takeover, the Gaza Strip had exhibited the characteristics of Talibanization , a process whereby the Hamas government had imposed strict rules on women, discouraged activities commonly associated with Western culture, oppressed non-Muslim minorities, imposed sharia law, and deployed religious police to enforce these laws. According to a Human Rights Watch researcher, the Hamas-controlled government of Gaza stepped up its efforts to "Islamize" Gaza in 2010, efforts that included
6786-678: The London daily Al-Hayat: "Hamas aims to establish a mini-state in the Gaza Strip modeled on the Taliban [state] in Afghanistan.". According to Jonathan Fighel , a senior researcher at the International Institute for Counter Terrorism (ICT), the ideological and strategic goal of Hamas is to destroy Israel in order to build on it a Sharia Islamic Taliban-style state. In 2008, Following the bitter Fatah–Hamas conflict , Mahmoud Abbas , President of
6903-606: The Palestinian legislative election of January 2006, Hamas gained a large majority of seats in the Palestinian Parliament , defeating the ruling Fatah party. After the elections, conflicts arose between Hamas and Fatah, which they were unable to resolve. In June 2007, Hamas defeated Fatah in a series of violent clashes , and since that time Hamas has governed the Gaza portion of the Palestinian Territories , while at
7020-632: The Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice , which at the time claimed to be independent of the Hamas government, beat up a local singer in Gaza after he gave a concert in Khan Younis , according to the London-based newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi . In 2013, Gazan singer Mohammed Assaf won " Arab Idol ", a regional singing competition TV show. A Hamas spokesperson initially condemned the name and idea of
7137-460: The Taliban does against its Afghani enemies. Imagine a Hamas squad enters a kindergarten in a kibbutz. Neither the Taliban nor Hamas strive for earthly aims. Armed with instruments of death, they each fight for a heavenly design. But on earth.... The Taliban are not analogous to Hamas. They are identical, equivalent. A ceasefire with Hamas is a delusion. Engage with whom? Director general of the Palestinian interior ministry, Samir Mashharawi , said to
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#17330851758017254-705: The United Kingdom, and the United States have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization . In 2018, a motion at the United Nations to condemn Hamas was rejected. Hamas is an acronym of the Arabic phrase حركة المقاومة الإسلامية or Ḥarakah al-Muqāwamah al-ʾIslāmiyyah , meaning "Islamic Resistance Movement". This acronym, HMS, was glossed in the 1988 Hamas Covenant by the Arabic word ḥamās ( حماس ) which itself means "zeal", "strength", or "bravery". Hamas
7371-500: The YMCA in Gaza City . In 2009, Hamas banned girls from riding behind men on motor scooters and forbade women from dancing . The Hamas-led government briefly implemented, then revoked, a ban on women smoking in public. In 2010, Hamas banned the smoking of hookah by women in public, stating that it was to reduce the increasing number of divorces. In March 2010, Hamas tried to impose
7488-530: The armistice would renew automatically each time. In mid-2006, University of Maryland 's Jerome Segal suggested that a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and a truce for many years could be considered Hamas's de facto recognition of Israel. A similar proposal was once again offered by Hamas to Israel in November 2006. In November 2008, in a meeting, on Gaza Strip soil, with 11 European members of parliaments, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh re-stated that Hamas
7605-458: The book was "only the beginning" and he urged intellectuals to take action. He said: "If we don't stand up to the Islamists now, they won't stop confiscating books, songs and folklore". The decision to ban the book was shortly thereafter reversed due to widespread outcry. One of the most obvious difference between Hamas and the smaller more fundamentalist groups in the Gaza Strip is music. Hamas do not object to most music, and music has long been
7722-553: The borders of 1967, with Jerusalem as its capital, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and the resolution of the issue of refugees," but only if such arrangement would be endorsed by "a referendum" held among all Palestinians: in Gaza, West Bank, and the diaspora. In May 2011, Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement in Cairo , agreeing to form a ('national unity') government and appoint the Ministers "in consensus between them", but it contained no remarks about how to confront or deal with Israel. In February 2012, Hamas and Fatah signed
7839-526: The cafes of the Crazy Water Park and the Faisal Equestrian Club where men and women were mingling socially. It was reported that young Palestinians in Gaza were being targeted by Islamist gunmen and Hamas security forces for wearing hair gel , with some of them being beaten and shaved against their will. In 2008, Hamas instructed the main Palestinian telecoms company, Paltel to block access to pornographic internet sites. "Palestinian society suffers because of such immoral sites. We have therefore taken
7956-540: The commanders said that al-Ghul was stopped for not wearing a hijab while swimming. Another commander said that the offense was smoking nargilas and partying in a public place. Islam Shahwan, the Hamas police spokesman, denied the detention of al-Ghul. In the early 2020s women have tended to dress conservatively in the Gaza Strip, but traditionally Islamic dress codes such as head scarves were not mandatory for all. Christian women do not often wear headscarves, particularly at Christian gatherings or Christian venues like
8073-475: The decision to protect morality, and this remains our policy," said Hamas telecommunications minister Yussef al-Mansi. Men are banned from swimming topless. Hamas banned public dog walking in May 2017, stating it was to "protect our women and children". Hamas officials stated that the ban was in response to a rise in dog walking on the streets which they stated was "against culture and traditions in Gaza". In 2007, about 3,000 Gazans were Christian, out of
8190-409: The directive. In 2009, Asma al-Ghul , a female Palestinian journalist, stated that Hamas policemen attempted to arrest her under the pretext that she came to a Gaza beach dressed immodestly and was seen laughing in public. "They accused me of laughing loudly while swimming with my friend and failing to wear a hijab," Ghul told a human rights organization in the Gaza Strip. "They also wanted to know
8307-429: The equivalent of between $ 250 and $ 300 a month, considered a good wage in Gaza, where over 80% of the population received welfare payments from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and other international aid agencies. According to The Jerusalem Post , Crazy Water Park was one of a number of seaside tourist resorts constructed in a $ 20 million building binge. Some regard
8424-424: The existence of another entity on the other side, implicitly recognizing Israel and "drop[ping] the call for the destruction of Israel from its manifesto." Other scholars believe that Hamas retains the long-term objective of establishing one state in former Mandatory Palestine . Mousa Abu Marzook , then the vice-president of Hamas' Political Bureau, explained in 2011, that while Hamas did not recognize Israel as
8541-518: The grand resorts along and near Gaza's coast. Further, the sight of the merchandise and luxuries filling the Gaza shops amazed me. Merchandise is sold more cheaply than in Egypt, although most of it is from the Egyptian market, and there are added shipping costs and costs for smuggling it via the tunnels – so that it could be expected to be more expensive.... the siege was broken even before Israel's crime against
8658-478: The group. Police said that no credible claims of responsibility had been made for the attacks, dismissing a statement that appeared on a news Web site in December from an unknown group with alleged links to Al-Qaeda . Haaretz noted that, "There has been no conclusive proof that Al-Qaida has established a Gaza branch. Observers believe the vice squad is most likely homegrown." In 2007, the Gaza Strip's Committee for
8775-445: The hairdressers, police called the five into a room where an unrelated detainee was chained to a wall by his wrists and told to sign a pledge to give up their profession or face arrest and a 20,000 shekel fine. The man initially refused but signed after his captors threatened "to take you to the cells because what you do is against Sharia [Islamic law]". During Hamas's reign over the strip, several beauty parlors and hair salons have been
8892-417: The hijab were verbally and physically harassed, with the result that the hijab was being worn 'just to avoid problems on the streets'. In 2007, Islamic group Swords of Truth threatened to behead female TV broadcasters if they didn't wear strict Islamic dress. "We will cut throats, and from vein to vein, if needed to protect the spirit and moral of this nation," their statement said. The group also accused
9009-421: The identity of the people who were with me at the beach and whether they were relatives of mine." Al-Ghul added that the officers confiscated her passport, and that she had received death threats from anonymous callers following the incident. Regarding the incident, Hamas security commanders initially said that al-Ghul and her friends were stopped because they were having a mixed party at the beach. Later, one of
9126-451: The issue of refugees ", "the release of Palestinian prisoners", and "Jerusalem as its capital"; and he made the same reservation as Mashal in May 2010 had made, that a Palestinian referendum needed to endorse this arrangement. On December 1, 2010, Ismail Haniyeh (senior Hamas leader, see above), in a news conference in Gaza , repeated his November 2010 message: "We accept a Palestinian state on
9243-449: The minority Christian population worried, and Huda Al-Amash, the mother of one of the converts, Ramez, stated, "If things remain like this, there'll be no Christians left in Gaza." Gaza's Archbishop Alexious said that the converts should be returned to their families. Palestinian researcher Dr. Khaled Al-Hroub has criticized what he called the " Taliban -like steps" Hamas has taken. He wrote, "The Islamization that has been forced upon
9360-466: The murder. Ayyad's funeral was attended by 300 Muslims and Christians. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights stated "This ugly act has no support by any religious group here." In 2012, a public protest was organized by dozens of Christians who claimed that two Christians were forcibly converted to Islam and were being held against their will. According to two mediators, the two Christians embraced Islam of their own free will. The conversions have
9477-439: The new Hamas stance. On 19 June 2008, Hamas and Israel agreed to a six-month cease-fire, which Hamas declared finished at 18 December amidst mutual accusations of breaching the agreed conditions. Meanwhile, in November 2008, in a meeting with 11 European members of parliaments, Hamas senior official Ismail Haniyeh repeated what he had written in June 2006 to U.S. President George W. Bush but with one extra condition: Hamas
9594-414: The occupation of West Bank and Gaza Strip and release all Palestinian prisoners . But the 1999 proposal omitted two difficult issues: the issue of Palestinian refugees and the recognition of Israel. The idea was that Israel and Hamas would use the period of calm to continue negotiating these two difficult issues until they reached a final peace agreement, at which point the temporary peace would convert into
9711-521: The one who left 40 years ago? We don't hate the Jews, we only ask for them to give us our rights." In its early days , Hamas functioned as a social-religious charity center . Its members armed themselves for the ongoing resistance against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories , and in August 1988 published their first charter in which Hamas stated that "Israel" should be "eliminated" through
9828-880: The other of responsibility. In late December 2008, Israel attacked Gaza , withdrawing its forces in mid-January 2009. Since 2009, Hamas has faced multiple military confrontations with Israel, notably the 2012 and 2014 Gaza Wars, leading to substantial casualties. Hamas has maintained control over Gaza, often clashing with the Palestinian Authority led by Fatah. Efforts at reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah have seen limited success. Hamas continued to face international isolation and blockades, while engaging in sporadic rocket attacks and tunnel construction activities against Israel. On October 7, 2023, Hamas and other Palestinian militants attacked Israel killing nearly 1,200 Israelis, about two thirds of them civilians. Approximately 250 Israeli civilians and soldiers were taken back to
9945-459: The other. Under Islamic international law , a hudna is a binding and the Qur'an prohibits its violation. Hamas's spokesperson, Ahmed Yousef , said that a "hudna" is more than a ceasefire and it "obliges parties to use the period to seek a permanent, non-violent resolution to their differences." Hamas first proposed Israel with a hudna, long-term armistice, in 1999. In exchange Israel would have to end
10062-411: The park again for 21 days, along with other resorts and a horse riding club. Residents of Gaza criticized the government for not backing investment in housing instead of water parks. One man, interviewed while relaxing at the park, told a reporter that the money invested into its construction could've been used to house 10 buildings that could've housed 100 families. On 19 September 2010, the water park
10179-455: The plastic slides and torched them. The identity of the arsonists was not immediately known, but al-Araj noted that "all tourism projects in Gaza are threatened by extremists who reject them" and held the Hamas administration responsible because it had closed the resort. Since seizing control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 after a violent conflict with rival Palestinian group Fatah , Hamas had been closing down restaurants, coffee shops and hotels in
10296-511: The predecessor of Hamas , reportedly used a mixture of consent and coercion to "'restore' hijab" on urban educated women in Gaza in the late 1970s and 1980s. Similar behavior was displayed by Hamas during the First Intifada. Hamas campaigned for the wearing of the hijab alongside other measures, including insisting women stay at home, segregation from men and the promotion of polygamy. In the course of this campaign, women who chose not to wear
10413-444: The presumed multiple number of indirect deaths). A number of conflicting statements since then were made by Hamas senior leaders regarding the Hamas policy towards Israel. On 24 October, Ghazi Hamad —member of the decision-making Hamas Political Bureau —explained the 7 October attack: "Israel is a country that has no place on our land. We must remove that country because it constitutes a security, military and political catastrophe to
10530-462: The right of Israel "to live as a neighbour" if such a deal would be approved by a referendum among the "Palestinians". Nevertheless, Mashal did not offer a unilateral ceasefire (as Carter had suggested him to do). The US State Department showed utter indifference for Mashal's new stance; Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert even refused to meet with Carter in Jerusalem , not to mention paying attention to
10647-446: The same time they were ousted from government positions in the West Bank . Israel and Egypt then imposed an economic blockade on Gaza and largely sealed their borders with the territory. After acquiring control of Gaza, Hamas-affiliated and other militias launched rocket attacks upon Israel, which Hamas ceased in June 2008 following an Egyptian -brokered ceasefire. The ceasefire broke down late in 2008, with each side accusing
10764-583: The sea to the river ", which Hamas will not give up, therefore Hamas will not recognise the legitimacy of "the usurping entity [Israel]". Hamas Member of Parliament Khalil al-Hayya , also deputy chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau, told the Associated Press in April 2024 that Hamas is willing to agree to a truce of five years or more with Israel and that it would lay down its weapons and convert into
10881-514: The sea to the river ." In 2022, Yahya Sinwar cautioned Israelis that Hamas would one day "march through your walls to uproot your regime." In a flash attack on 7 October 2023 , Hamas and associates murdered 767 civilians and killed a further 376 security personnel of the state of Israel . Israel retaliated with warfare in the Gaza Strip , aiming at Hamas militants but also harming much civilian infrastructure and directly killing tens of thousands of civilians, as admitted even by Israel (not counting
10998-474: The ships of the Freedom Flotilla in late May; everything already was coming into the Gaza Strip from Egypt. If this weren't the case, businessmen would not have been able to build so many resorts in under four months". In August 2010, Hamas authorities closed the water park for three days as a "warning" to the management against allowing men and women to mingle at parties. In early September, they shut down
11115-415: The show as blasphemous, but later a Hamas legislator praised Assaf as the "ambassador for Palestinian art". In August 2021, Islamic State (ISIS)-inspired groups in the Gaza Strip accused Bianco Resort, one of the Gaza Strip's most luxurious seaside tourist sites, of holding a music concert for men and women, before attacking the resort with an explosive device. In April 2010, Hamas sent police to break up
11232-464: The site was set on fire by a group of unknown gunmen. The Hamas government issued a strong condemnation and promised to pursue the perpetrators. The government had already a week earlier ordered the closure of Crazy Water Park for three weeks due to it not having a proper license. Although it is not clear which Islamist group was behind the action, Islamist militants who objected to mixed-gender socializing destroyed Gaza's water park . In May 2010,
11349-456: The site, according to an eyewitness. John Ging, UNRWA's director of operations in Gaza, called the incident "an attack on the happiness of children". A Hamas spokesman condemned the attack and pledged authorities "will track down the perpetrators". In a separate incident in June 2010, a group of about two dozen armed and masked men attacked a UNRWA summer camp in Gaza. The assailants tied up an unarmed guard, then tried to set fire to two tents and
11466-513: The statehood of Israel and not relinquish their goal of liberating all of Palestine from " the Zionist project ". Around 2018, a Hamas finance minister has suggested that a "long-term ceasefire as understood by Hamas [ hudna ] and a two-state settlement are the same". In 2021 Hamas organized and financed a conference among 250 Gaza citizens about the future management of the State of Palestine following
11583-469: The takeover of Israel which was predicted to come soon. According to the conclusions of the conference, the Jewish Israeli fighters would be killed, while the peaceful individuals could be integrated or be allowed to leave. At the same time the highly skilled and educated would be prevented from leaving. In 2020 Ismail Haniyeh said in an interview that one of the principles of Hamas was "Palestine from
11700-463: The target of explosions and other attacks, which Hamas has blamed on opposition groups. Male hairdressers for women in the conservative territory are rare. In 2013, UNRWA canceled its annual marathon in Gaza after Hamas rulers prohibited women from participating in the race. In 2015, Hamas banned New Year's Eve celebrations based on the Gregorian calendar , stating that such celebrations "offended
11817-405: The territory separately from the Palestinian National Authority . After Hamas's takeover, Israel significantly intensified existing movement restrictions and imposed a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip . Egypt began its blockade of Gaza in 2007. This was followed by multiple wars with Israel, including those in 2008–09 , 2012 , 2014 , 2021 , and an ongoing one since 2023 , which began with
11934-569: The territory's values and religious traditions." This was after the Islamic New Year had begun in October. Polygamy has burgeoned under the Hamas government, despite the fact that the overall rate of marriage has decreased. In 2007, the banning of a book of Palestinian folktales, " Speak, Bird, Speak Again ", which is a collection of 45 Palestinian folk tales, because of some supposedly lewd content, caused an outcry. The Palestinian novelist Zakariya Mohammed warned that Hamas' decision to ban
12051-607: The territory, claiming these places violate Islamic tradition. During the same period, other extreme Islamist groups carried out numerous attacks on establishments perceived as un-Islamic, including coffee shops, beauty salons and even UN -run summer camps. A spokesman for the Hamas interior ministry said it had opened an investigation, and denied a connection between the attack and the closure. Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement , abbreviated Hamas (an Arabic acronym from Arabic : حركة المقاومة الإسلامية , romanized : Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamah al-ʾIslāmiyyah ),
12168-469: The territory, imposing the hijab on women at courts, institutions and schools. Some of the Islamization efforts met resistance. When Palestinian Supreme Court Justice Abdel Raouf Al-Halabi ordered female lawyers to wear headscarves and caftans in court, attorneys contacted satellite television stations to protest, including Saudi state media outlet Al Arabiya , causing Hamas' Justice Ministry to cancel
12285-484: The time of signing that 2007 agreement, Mousa Abu Marzook , Deputy Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau , underlined his view of the Hamas position: "I can recognize the presence of Israel as a fait accompli (amr wâqi') or, as the French say, a de facto recognition, but this does not mean that I recognize Israel as a state". More Hamas leaders, through the years, have made similar statements. In June 2007, Hamas ousted
12402-526: The total population of 1.5 million. In 2011, the Christian population of Gaza Strip was less than 1,400. Attacks on Christians and their property are rare, with the notable exception of those on The Teacher's Bookshop . A member of the Catholic faith told The Guardian he was stopped by a Hamas official and told to remove a wooden crucifix he was wearing; he refused and was threatened with arrest, but eventually
12519-501: The violent language against all Jews in the original Hamas charter as genocidal , incitement to genocide , or antisemitic . The charter attributes collective responsibility to Jews, not just Israelis, for various global issues, including both World Wars. The American Interest magazine has wrote that the charter "echoes" Nazi propaganda in claiming that Jews profited during World War II . Jeffrey Goldberg , editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, has compared statements in
12636-489: The women broadcasters of being "without any ... shame or morals." Personal threats against female broadcasters were also sent to the women's mobile phones, though it was not clear if these threats were from the same group. Gazan anchorwomen interviewed by the Associated Press said that they were frightened by the Swords of Truth's statement. After taking control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, Hamas tried to enforce Islamic law in
12753-544: Was always the same but that they had no hard proof as to who was behind the attacks and had yet to make arrests. Ramzi Abu Hilao , a pool hall owner whose establishment was blown up said he had received no prior warning but that, "I received a written message after the bombing from a group called ' The Swords of Truth ' that began with a verse from the Quran and said they wanted to correct the bad behavior in Palestinian society." Hamas spokesman Ismail Ridwan denied any connection with
12870-489: Was burned down by a group of about 40 masked individuals in a move that was seen by human rights groups as part of the increasing Islamization of Gaza . Ala al-Araj, one of the owners and a former Hamas government minister, said that at about 3 AM, the men tied up the guards, blindfolded them and beat them. They then set fire to an administrative building; the fire engulfed the park's three-story restaurant and cafeteria, causing extensive damage. The men also dumped gasoline around
12987-479: Was elected due to his considerable popularity in the Arab and Islamic worlds following the 7 October attacks and his strong connections with Iran and the " Axis of Resistance ," an informal Iranian-led political and military coalition. On 16 October 2024, IDF troops killed Sinwar during a routine patrol and a chance encounter in southern Rafah. Hamas' policy towards Israel has evolved. Historically, Hamas envisioned
13104-468: Was established in 1987, and allegedly has its origins in Egypt 's Muslim Brotherhood movement, which had been active in the Gaza Strip since the 1950s and gained influence through a network of mosques and various charitable and social organizations. Unlike other Palestinian factions, after the Israeli occupation of Gaza in 1967 , the Brotherhood in Gaza refused to join the resistance boycott against Israel. In
13221-401: Was further explained on 6 June 2006 by Hamas' MP Riad Mustafa: "Hamas will never recognize Israel", but if a popular Palestinian referendum would endorse a peace agreement including recognition of Israel, "we would of course accept their verdict". Also on 6 June 2006, Ismail Haniyeh , senior political leader of Hamas and at that time Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority , sent
13338-489: Was let go. The Islamization of Gaza has put increasing pressure on the tiny Christian minority. Following the Hamas takeover of Gaza in 2007, Abu Saqer , leader of Jihadia Salafiya , a rival group to Hamas, announced the opening of a "military wing" to enforce Muslim law in Gaza. "I expect our Christian neighbors to understand the new Hamas rule means real changes. They must be ready for Islamic rule if they want to live in peace in Gaza." Sheik Saqer has asserted that there
13455-467: Was willing to accept a Palestinian state "in the territories of 1967 " ( Gaza Strip and West Bank ), and offered Israel a long-term truce if Israel recognized the Palestinians' national rights ; and stated that Israel rejected this proposal. A Hamas finance minister around 2018 contended that such a "long-term ceasefire as understood by Hamas and a two-state settlement are the same". Mkhaimer Abusada,
13572-634: Was willing to accept a Palestinian state "in the territories of 1967 " and offered Israel a long-term truce if Israel recognized the Palestinians' national rights – which he said Israel had declined. In September 2009, Ismail Haniyeh , head of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip , wrote to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon – like he had told the New York Times in August 2006: "We would never thwart efforts to create an independent Palestinian state with borders [from] June 4, 1967, with Jerusalem as its capital." In May 2010, Khaled Mashal , chairman of
13689-471: Was with Zionists , not Jews. It has been debated whether the charter has reflected an actual change in policy. In terms of foreign policy, Hamas has historically sought out relations with Egypt, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey; some of its relations have been impacted by the Arab Spring . Hamas and Israel have engaged in protracted armed conflict . Key aspects of the conflict include
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