About THE rivertothesea INITIATIVE
Our Mission
At 'RivetotheSea,' our core mission is to shed light on the ongoing struggles faced by the people of Palestine. In a world where information can be overwhelming and at times, misleading, we strive to cut through the noise to present factual, heartfelt insights into the realities on the ground. We believe in the power of knowledge to foster empathy, inspire action, and drive change.
Our website serves as a comprehensive resource for those seeking to understand the complex history of Palestine, stay informed about current events, and explore ways to contribute positively to the cause. Through meticulously curated content, we aim to provide our readers with a deeper understanding of the injustices faced by Palestinians and highlight the resilience and strength of their spirit.
We offer:
- Educational Resources: Dive deep into the history of Palestine, from its rich cultural heritage to the challenges it faces today. Our resources are designed to provide a well-rounded perspective on the Palestinian narrative.
- Current News and Analyses: Stay updated with the latest developments in Palestine. Our news coverage is complemented by expert analyses that decode the implications of each event, helping you understand the bigger picture.
- Campaigns and Actions: Discover how you can make a difference. Whether it's participating in awareness campaigns, supporting humanitarian efforts, or engaging with your local representatives, we guide you through actionable steps to stand in solidarity with Palestine.
- Community and Support: Join a growing community of advocates, activists, and allies. Share stories, exchange ideas, and find support among those who share your commitment to justice and freedom.
'Voices for Freedom' is more than just a website; it's a movement towards a brighter, more just future for Palestine. Join us in our journey to enlighten minds, empower voices, and take meaningful action."
rivertothesea - history of palestine
Current State of Palestine
Israel forces have continued to expand their ground operation into southern Gaza, with local reports indicating combat around Khan Younis, while Israeli airstrikes have hit as far south as Rafah, an area along the Egyptian border. Almost two million Gazans, more than 85 percent of the population, have fled their homes since Israel began its military operation. Recent casaulty estimates place the death toll at over 20,000, with relief agencies warning the the number could be even higher. Attacks on medical infrastructure and a lack of basic supplies have reduced the number of functioing hospitals to only seven, all of which are in teh south, and the World Health Organization has warned of disease spread in addition to mounting civilian casulaties. Meanwhile, the United States is conducting shuttle diplomacy amid simmering regional tensions. Meanwhile, the conflict has metastsized to other parts of the Levant. Israel has killed Hezbollah fighers in Lebanon and increased its air strikes against alleged Iran-linked targets in Syria. Iran-backed groups have launched dozens of attacks on U.S. military positions in Iraq and Syria, and Yemen’s Houthi rebels have targeted missiles at Israel and commercial ships in the Red Sea.
OCTOBER 7TH AND POLITICS
In early October 2023, war broke out between Israel and Hamas, the militant Islamist group that has controlled Gaza since 2006, in the most significant escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in several decades. Hamas fighters fired rockets into Israel and stormed southern Israeli cities and towns across the border of the Gaza Strip, killing more than 1,300 Israelis, injuring 3,300, and taking hundreds of hostages. The attack took Israel by surprise, though the state quickly mounted a deadly retaliatory operation. One day after the October 7 attack, the Israeli cabinet formally declared war against Hamas, followed by a directive from the defense minister to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to carry out a “complete siege” of Gaza.
Since then, the two sides have traded daily rocket fire, and Israel ordered more than one million Palestinian civilians in northern Gaza to evacuate ahead of a ground invasion that began on October 28. Israeli forces have encircled Gaza City, cutting it off from southern Gaza and squeezing Hamas. Hundreds of thousands of civilians remain in the city. Gazan health officials say the war has killed 10,000 Palestinians, including more than 4,000 children. The territory is also desperately low on water, fuel, and supplies as Israel has rejected humanitarian pauses and limited the amount of aid that can enter.
The displacement of millions more Palestinians presents a dilemmafor Egypt and Jordan, which have absorbed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the past but have resisted accepting anyone during the current war. They fear that Gazans, many of whom were already displaced from elsewhere in Israel, will not be allowed to return once they leave. Egypt also fears that Hamas fighters could enter Egypt and trigger a new war in the Sinai by launching attacks on Israel or destabilizing the authoritarian regime of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi by supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. So far, negotiations have resulted in only 1,100 people exiting Gaza through the Rafah border crossing to Egypt. The other 1.5 million displaced Gazans—70 percent of the territory’s population—have nowhere to go and face increasingly dire living conditions and security risks.
Following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, 2023, President Joe Biden made a strong statement of support for Israel. On the same day that Israel declared war against Hamas, the United States announced that it would send renewed shipments of arms and move its Mediterranean Sea warships closer to Israel. While the UN Security Council called an emergency meeting to discuss the renewed violence, the members failed to come to a consensus statement. Given the history of brutality when Israel and Palestinian extremist groups have fought in the past, international groups quickly expressed concern for the safety of civilians in Israel and the Palestinian territories as well as those being held hostage by militants in Gaza. In the first month of fighting, approximately 1,300 Israelis and 10,000 Palestinians were killed. Increasing loss of life is of primary concern in the conflict.
While the United States said there was “no direct evidence” that Iranian intelligence and security forces directly helped Hamas plan its October 7 attack, Iran has a well-established patronage relationship with Hamas and other extremist groups across the Middle East. Israel has exchanged artillery fire with Iran-backed Hezbollah almost daily and struck Syrian military targets and airports, prompting concern that the war could expand north. To the south, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched multiple rounds of missiles at Israel as well. Meanwhile, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, a coalition of Iranian-backed militias, has claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks on U.S. military targets in Iraq and Syria since the war began.
A 2023 effort by the United States to help broker a normalization accord between Israel and Saudi Arabia was thrown into chaos by the October conflict. Saudi Arabia has long advocated for the rights and safety of Palestinian Arab populations in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. Especially in Gaza, those populations are now in the path of IDF operations, jeopardizing the progress the Israelis and Saudis made toward a common understanding. However, the United States says the Saudis have indicated they are still interested in the deal.
Historical Background and the Foundation of Israel
Palestine in the early 1900s was a land where Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived alongside each other in harmony. Part of the Ottoman Empire, this diverse community was disrupted when the Zionist movement, introduced by Theodore Herzl in 1896, aimed to establish an independent Jewish state ideally on Palestinian land.
By the end of World War I, the Ottoman Empire collapsed, and Palestine fell under British rule. In 1917, Britain announced its support for a Jewish state in Palestine through the Balfour Declaration, fueling tensions and leading to violence between Arabs and Jews.
[Transition to footage of UN Partition Plan in 1947 and declaration of Israel in 1948]
The conflict escalated until the UN proposed splitting Palestine into two states in 1947. Jews accepted this plan and declared the independence of the State of Israel in 1948, leading to the violent expulsion of over 750,000 Palestinians from their homes, an event remembered as Al-Nakba, the catastrophe.
The ensuing First Arab-Israeli War and later, the Six-Day War in 1967, led to Israel occupying all of Palestine. Despite international laws, Israel began settling in Gaza and the West Bank, prompting the Palestinian struggle for liberation.
Years of fighting and attempts at peace, including the Oslo Accords, failed to resolve the conflict. Israel's construction of separation walls and expansion of illegal settlements further limited Palestinian freedom and rights.
Today, Israel controls Gaza and the West Bank, with ongoing military assaults and illegal settlement expansions. The international community considers these actions illegal, yet the struggle for Palestinian liberation continues.
Will the conflict ever end, allowing for peace in the region or a two state solution? People believe it’s tragic, this replaces a meaningful political position with empty emotional fluff to create the false impression that the liberal has said something relevant which aligns with their stated values and ideology. By saying you want peace but refusing to say how you want the peace to come about, the “peace” you purport to support could mean anything. If Israel bombs Gaza into rubble and drives survivors into refugee camps in the Sinai desert, they could call that “peace,” because there won’t be a war anymore. If Israel murders everyone in Gaza, they can call that “peace” because the bombs are no longer falling. Even going back to the status quo of October 6th wouldn’t be peace, it would just be returning to the abusive conditions which gave rise to October 7th. The two state solution is functionally just a psychological box that people mentally tick off so they can pretend they have a real position on Israel-Palestine. Israeli leaders publicly spit on the notion of a Palestinian state with its own military and national sovereignty, and there is no political wherewithal to make such a thing happen. It’s nothing more than a conceptual construct which lets individuals feel nice shouting their politics without actually taking a stand against the western-backed tyrannical power structure that is the state of Israel. In reality there cannot be peace until Israel ceases to be an abusive apartheid ethnostate, until it and its allies pay massive reparations to the Palestinians and until all the wrongs of the past are made right. This is entirely possible, but it would be a massive, massive effort toward a goal that would make the current status quo of Israel-Palestine completely unrecognizable from what it currently is. Merely flicking an intellectual thumbs up to empty notions about a “two-state solution” is just more liberal psychological segmentation.
THE NAKBA
Let’s discuss the Nakba. Seventy years have passed since the Nakba, the catastrophe, unfolded in Palestine in 1948—a year that saw over 750,000 Palestinians forcefully displaced from their homes, herded into refugee camps across East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and neighboring countries. But the Nakba didn't end in 1948. It continues to this day, affecting over 12 million Palestinians who remain stateless.
The persecution of Jews across Europe catalyzed a movement among Zionists, who saw Palestine as the ideal location for a Jewish homeland, despite its indigenous Palestinian population. The Zionist movement started organizing emigration to Palestine and purchasing land, marking the initial steps toward establishing a Jewish state.
Then came World War I. Britain, seizing the moment, promised Zionists support for a Jewish National Home in Palestine through the Balfour Declaration. This document also purported to protect the rights of the non-Jewish communities, a promise left unfulfilled.
As the Ottoman Empire fell, Britain took control of Palestine, facilitating Jewish immigration and land acquisition, actions that would have been impossible without British backing. This period saw significant Jewish migration to Palestine, sparking widespread Palestinian protests against both British and Zionist actions.
The tension escalated into the Palestinian revolt of 1936, a three-year uprising against British and Zionist occupation. Though the revolt was quelled, leaving Palestinians without leadership, it also led Britain to limit Jewish migration, a move that angered Zionists.
By 1947, as Britain announced its exit from Palestine, the UN proposed dividing the land. However, Zionist forces, well-armed and backed by foreign support, began an ethnic cleansing campaign even before the British withdrawal, seizing major cities and hundreds of villages, displacing thousands.
May 14th, 1948, marked the creation of the State of Israel, immediately followed by a war with the surrounding Arab nations. Despite the numerical advantage of the Arab forces, Israel, with substantial foreign support, emerged superior, expanding beyond the UN's partition plans and further displacing Palestinians.
By April 1949, the conflict had resulted in the capture of over 500 Palestinian villages and cities, the expulsion of more than 750,000 Palestinians, and the death of over 13,000. Yet, the Nakba did not cease.
Today, Israel occupies all of historical Palestine, continuing to build settlements on occupied land. Palestinians in the West Bank face military law, while those in Gaza live under a severe blockade. With living conditions deteriorating, Palestinians persist in their demand for the right to return to their homes—a right that, until fulfilled, means the Nakba continues.
Israeli Apartheid
That brings us to the Israeli Apartheid. This topic involves understanding the complex realities of military checkpoints, color-coded ID cards, Jewish-only roads and towns, and a separate set of laws for Palestinians and Israelis. It's a scenario that prompts us to think deeply about justice, human rights, and the principles of international law.
Apartheid is a term that goes beyond South Africa; it's defined under international law as a crime against humanity, involving an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over another. When we apply this definition to the Israeli control over Palestinians, rights groups, including B'Tselem, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International, assert that it fits the criteria of apartheid.
Imagine living in a place where your movements are restricted, where the roads you can drive on and the towns you can live in are determined by your ethnicity. For Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, Israel, and the Gaza Strip, this isn't just a thought experiment—it's daily life. They live under a set of laws and rules that discriminate against them because they are Palestinian. This system of control and segregation has led many to draw parallels with Apartheid South Africa, where racial segregation and discrimination were institutionalized.
Since 1948, Israel has employed policies that have fragmented the Palestinian people geographically and legally. Through control over borders, resources, and a complex ID system, Israel has managed to maintain domination over Palestinians, restricting their movement, marriage, and basic rights. Palestinians are split into different geographic areas, each facing unique challenges but all under a system that privileges Jewish Israelis over Palestinians.
One of the most striking examples of this discrimination is the ID system, which dictates every aspect of Palestinian life. Depending on where they live, Palestinians are subject to different sets of laws, all inferior to the rights afforded to Jewish individuals in the same areas. This tiered system of rights creates a clear hierarchy, with Jewish Israelis at the top with full rights, followed by Palestinian citizens of Israel who face institutionalized discrimination, and then Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, who face the harshest restrictions.
The Continuing Conflict
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Introduction to Settlements and Their Impact
Land policies serve as a cornerstone of this apartheid system, where land is treated as a resource for the benefit of Jewish people, while Palestinians are corralled into enclaves through confiscation. Inside Israel, discriminatory land policies are evident, with Palestinian citizens having access to less than 3% of the land for their communities.
Firstly, let's understand what these settlements are. Israeli settlements are residential areas, built by Israel on territories it occupied since the 1967 Six-Day War, primarily for Jewish communities. Despite their seemingly benign appearance as suburbs, these settlements are a stark violation of international law, specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention, which explicitly forbids an occupying power from transferring its citizens into the territories it occupies.
Why Are Settlements Problematic?
The legality and ethics of these settlements are not merely academic debates. They have real, profound implications on the ground. By establishing these settlements, Israel aims to cement its control over these lands, complicating and often halting peace negotiations. The settlements are a direct obstacle to peace, as they represent a unilateral claim and control over land that should be negotiated for a two-state solution. The Palestinians view these settlements as an encroachment on their rightful land, making any negotiations over such territories increasingly untenable.
Growth and Impact
Despite peace talks and international condemnation, the number of settlers in occupied Palestinian territories has surged to half a million since the Oslo negotiations began in 1993. This growth is not spontaneous; it's by design. The Israeli government encourages settlement through incentives like lower tax rates, subsidized housing, and easier loans.
Life under Occupation
For Palestinians living in the West Bank, life is markedly different. They live under Israeli military rule, facing checkpoints, curfews, and detentions without charge—conditions that starkly contrast with the freedoms enjoyed by settlers, who are governed by Israeli civil law.
Settlement Infrastructure and Control
The settlements, along with the roads, military bases, and security zones that support them, dominate about 40% of the West Bank's land. This sprawling infrastructure not only facilitates the seamless integration of settlements into Israel but also severely restricts Palestinian movement and development, fragmenting their land into isolated enclaves.
Life in Gaza: "The World's Biggest Prison"
The most infamous man-made structures in the world, not for its architectural marvel but for the division and controversy it represents. This is a story about a wall that stands as high as eight meters in some places—double the height of the Berlin Wall—and stretches over 280 miles, the distance between Philadelphia and Boston. This wall has been under construction for the past 13 years, and yet, it's still not complete.
The International Court of Justice has declared this wall illegal, yet it continues to stand in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinians have been living under Israeli military occupation since 1967. This wall, often referred to by Israel as the "separation barrier" or "security fence," was initially built in the early 2000s during a wave of suicide bombings that targeted Israelis. The Israeli government claims its purpose is to prevent Palestinian attackers from entering, but thousands of Palestinians still manage to cross it every day in search of work. This raises a critical question: if the wall doesn't effectively stop people from crossing, what purpose does it truly serve?
The root of the wall tells a story of encroachment and violation of international law. Astonishingly, 85% of the wall is not built along Israel's border but inside the occupied West Bank, on Palestinian land. This deviation from the border has facilitated the expansion of over 200 settlements and settler outposts, housing half a million Israelis in the West Bank—a practice deemed illegal under international law.
This construction has not only shifted the boundary between Israel and the West Bank but also resulted in the annexation of an area the size of Chicago, swallowing up more Palestinian land. While settlers living west of the wall enjoy full Israeli citizenship rights, Palestinians residing in the same territory are denied these rights, living in a limbo without proper recognition or support.
Let's consider the village of Taba near Qalqilya, which lost over half of its land to the wall. Dynamite was used to clear the path for this barrier, damaging homes and even a local school. In some areas, the wall comprises concrete slabs, while in others, it's merely fencing, its form varying with its proximity to Palestinian homes.
One of the most striking impacts of the wall is on neighborhoods and economies. Take, for example, the village of Hizmet, completely walled off from the rest of Jerusalem, save for a few Palestinian families trapped on the Israeli side. These residents are prohibited from visiting their old neighbors, effectively isolating them.
Perhaps nowhere is the economic devastation more visible than in Bethlehem. This biblical city, once thriving with tourism, now faces businesses shutting down and families leaving, as the wall and a series of illegal settlements suffocate its growth potential. Bethlehem, along with many other Palestinian areas, is being cut off from its agricultural land, its religious sites, and more importantly, its future.
This barrier, dubbed the "apartheid wall" by Palestinians, has not only destroyed neighborhoods and strangled the economy but has also facilitated the illegal annexation of more Palestinian land. It stands as a stark symbol of the occupation, raising the question of how long it will continue to cast its shadow over the lives of those on both sides of its divide.
This wall represents more than just a physical barrier; it's a barrier to peace, prosperity, and the possibility of a just future for Palestinians. As we reflect on its implications, let us consider the values of justice, human rights, and the importance of international law in resolving such long-standing conflicts.
Resistance and Solidarity - Wha?
Hamas is a Palestinian political party and armed resistance movement based in the besieged Gaza Strip.
It emerged in 1987, at the start of the First Intifada, as a reaction to intensifying Israeli violence and as a religious alternative to the secular Palestinian parties that dominated the scene at the time. Hamas was originally a branch of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood but later cut ties with it and became an independent group.
In 1992, Hamas formed a military wing called the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades to resist the Israeli occupation. The Brigades carried out several significant operations against Israel during the Second Intifada, which established Hamas as a leading force in the Palestinian resistance.
Who Are Its Leaders?
Hamas is composed of a political wing and a military wing. They each perform different functions but operate under the same leadership structure.
Political Bureau
- Headed by Ismail Haniyeh from ex
- Sets general policy
Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades
- Commanded by Marwan Issa and Mohammed Deif
- Conducts military operations
Shura Council
- Led by Saleh al-Arouri in the West Bank and Yahya Sinwar in Gaza
- Handles affairs in Gaza, the West Bank, diaspora, and Israeli Prisons
Gaza's Government
- Headed by Prime Minister Issam al-Da'alis
- Enacts policies and provides social services to people in Gaza.
What Does Hamas Want?
Its 2017 charter states that its current political program is to:
- Implement the right of return for all Palestinian refugees.
- Establish a temporary Palestinian state along the 1967 borders (the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip) and arrange a long-term truce with Israel
Hamas considers the establishment of a Palestinian state on the '67 borders as a temporary step. It refuses to recognize Israel's legitimacy and advocates for the "full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea.
Hamas's 2017 charter states that its struggle is against the Israeli state and the Zionist movement due to their occupation of Palestine, not Jewish people, and criticizes Israel for associating its actions with Jewish values.
Hamas's stated goals for its current operation are to:
- Free the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel
- End the Gaza blockade
- End the status quo where Israel continues its occupation without cost
Does Hamas Control Gaza?
Not really. Hamas administers local affairs, while Israel controls much of Gaza from the outside through its blockade.
Israel forcibly controls:
- airspace
- Saccess
- Movement of all goods and people in and out
- Teleconetworks
- Electromagnetic sphere
- Tax Distribution
- Popularity Registry
- Water
- Electricity and fuel
Hamas began governing Gaza in 2007, and has since managed:
- healthcare
- education
- infrastructure
- Social Welfare Areare
- Enforcementent
- Public Employment
Hamas is not a sovereign government.
Israel's blockade prevents Palestinians from independently exercising sovereignty over Gaza's population, development, and economy?
Does Hamas Represent Palestine?
Hamas is one of many Palestinian political parties.
On the one hand, Hamas was democratically elected by voters in 2006, garnering a plurality of West Bank and Gaza votes (44%15for its social services and resistance efforts.16 Today, Fatah and Hamas, the two largest parties, are roughly tied, each enjoying the support of a third of the public.
On the other hand, many Palestinians strongly criticize Hamas's political wing due to its corruption and repressive policies, and the last elections were in 2006.
43% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza believe that no party represents Palestine.
However, Hamas is currently the only major group that pursues armed resistance, which is widely supported. So while most Palestinians might not support Hamas as a party, the overwhelming majority support acts of resistance in general, whether by Hamas or others.
Is Hamas a Proxy of Iran?
No. Hamas is an independent group with a political program and military strategy distinct from Iran.
Hamas and Iran are strategic allies, meaning that while Iran provides Hamas with significant financial, military, and political support, Hamas does not act or operate on behalf of Iran. It makes decisions based on its own interests, and independently manages relations with countries like Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt.
- For example: In 2012, Hamas cut ties with Syria because it opposed the Assad regime's violent crackdown on protesters. It took this decision despite angering Iran, a close ally of Assad.25
Regarding Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, even Israeli officials admit there is no evidence that Iran was in any way involved. Iran was actually surprised by it. Hamas independently coordinated and launched the operation to achieve its own goals.
Does Hamas Negotiate with Israel?
Hamas views armed struggle as only one of several tools to end apartheid & occupation, such as diplomacy.
- In 2006, in an op-ed for The Guardian, Hamas chairman Ismail Haniyeh revealed that Israel refused Hamas's proposal for a truce.28
- In 2008, former Hamas chief Khaled Meshal offered a 10-year truce in exchange for a sovereign Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.® Israel rejected the proposal.
- In 2015, Hamas offered a long-term truce in exchange for simply ending the Gaza Blockade. Israel rejected it.
- In 2018, Haniyeh revived this offer by sending a handwritten letter in Hebrew to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu 31 But Israel rejected it again.
Israel repeatedly rejected Hamas's diplomatic initiatives because Israel saw no reason to end the oppressive status quo, which it believed gave it power & privileges over Palestinians with minimal downsides. Israel's benefits outweighed the costs. Hamas is trying to change that.
Is Hamas Risking Palestinian Lives?
Westerners often accuse Hamas of risking Palestinian lives by fighting apartheid and thus inviting a deadly Israeli crackdown. But the reality is that Israel's blockade is slowly killing everyone in Gaza.
“We have paid a high cost in lives in this conflict. But if that's the price for long-term changes - breaking the siege and obtaining freedom - it's one many of us feel we have no choice but to swallow.” - Haytham Besaiso, civil engineer from Gaza, 2014
“We are bleeding here, anyway [..] The Gaza Blockade crushes any opportunity for peace.”
- Ismail, anonymous journalist from Gaza, 2021
The argument that Hamas is responsible for Israel's killing of Palestinians is malicious. It blames the victims for resisting apartheid and absolves the oppressors of responsibility, treating the mass killing of children as a 'normal' Israeli response.
You don't need to support Hamas as a political party to support Palestine.
Most Palestinians don't support it as a party.
But Hamas is an effective political player in the struggle against apartheid, oppression, and colonization.
It has achieved remarkable success in preventing Israeli violence in Jerusalem®* and freeing Palestinian hostages abducted by Israel.
Hamas has institutions, ministries, student movements, and women's movements, and employs thousands of doctors, teachers, judges, and aid workers.
It is part of the fabric of Palestinian society.
So while you don't need to support Hamas to support Palestine, you cannot oppose oppression without supporting the resistance to it. You cannot support freedom while supporting Israeli efforts to wipe out those who fight for that freedom, including Hamas, to leave Palestinans defenseless.
Resistance and Solidarity - Wha?
Hamas is a Palestinian political party and armed resistance movement based in the besieged Gaza Strip.
It emerged in 1987, at the start of the First Intifada, as a reaction to intensifying Israeli violence and as a religious alternative to the secular Palestinian parties that dominated the scene at the time. Hamas was originally a branch of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood but later cut ties with it and became an independent group.
In 1992, Hamas formed a military wing called the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades to resist the Israeli occupation. The Brigades carried out several significant operations against Israel during the Second Intifada, which established Hamas as a leading force in the Palestinian resistance.
Who Are Its Leaders?
Hamas is composed of a political wing and a military wing. They each perform different functions but operate under the same leadership structure.
Political Bureau
- Headed by Ismail Haniyeh from ex
- Sets general policy
Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades
- Commanded by Marwan Issa and Mohammed Deif
- Conducts military operations
Shura Council
- Led by Saleh al-Arouri in the West Bank and Yahya Sinwar in Gaza
- Handles affairs in Gaza, the West Bank, diaspora, and Israeli Prisons
Gaza's Government
- Headed by Prime Minister Issam al-Da'alis
- Enacts policies and provides social services to people in Gaza.
What Does Hamas Want?
Its 2017 charter states that its current political program is to:
- Implement the right of return for all Palestinian refugees.
- Establish a temporary Palestinian state along the 1967 borders (the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip) and arrange a long-term truce with Israel
Hamas considers the establishment of a Palestinian state on the '67 borders as a temporary step. It refuses to recognize Israel's legitimacy and advocates for the "full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea.
Hamas's 2017 charter states that its struggle is against the Israeli state and the Zionist movement due to their occupation of Palestine, not Jewish people, and criticizes Israel for associating its actions with Jewish values.
Hamas's stated goals for its current operation are to:
- Free the thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel
- End the Gaza blockade
- End the status quo where Israel continues its occupation without cost
Does Hamas Control Gaza?
Not really. Hamas administers local affairs, while Israel controls much of Gaza from the outside through its blockade.
Israel forcibly controls:
- airspace
- Saccess
- Movement of all goods and people in and out
- Teleconetworks
- Electromagnetic sphere
- Tax Distribution
- Popularity Registry
- Water
- Electricity and fuel
Hamas began governing Gaza in 2007, and has since managed:
- healthcare
- education
- infrastructure
- Social Welfare Areare
- Enforcementent
- Public Employment
Hamas is not a sovereign government.
Israel's blockade prevents Palestinians from independently exercising sovereignty over Gaza's population, development, and economy?
Does Hamas Represent Palestine?
Hamas is one of many Palestinian political parties.
On the one hand, Hamas was democratically elected by voters in 2006, garnering a plurality of West Bank and Gaza votes (44%15for its social services and resistance efforts.16 Today, Fatah and Hamas, the two largest parties, are roughly tied, each enjoying the support of a third of the public.
On the other hand, many Palestinians strongly criticize Hamas's political wing due to its corruption and repressive policies, and the last elections were in 2006.
43% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza believe that no party represents Palestine.
However, Hamas is currently the only major group that pursues armed resistance, which is widely supported. So while most Palestinians might not support Hamas as a party, the overwhelming majority support acts of resistance in general, whether by Hamas or others.
Is Hamas a Proxy of Iran?
No. Hamas is an independent group with a political program and military strategy distinct from Iran.
Hamas and Iran are strategic allies, meaning that while Iran provides Hamas with significant financial, military, and political support, Hamas does not act or operate on behalf of Iran. It makes decisions based on its own interests, and independently manages relations with countries like Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt.
- For example: In 2012, Hamas cut ties with Syria because it opposed the Assad regime's violent crackdown on protesters. It took this decision despite angering Iran, a close ally of Assad.25
Regarding Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, even Israeli officials admit there is no evidence that Iran was in any way involved. Iran was actually surprised by it. Hamas independently coordinated and launched the operation to achieve its own goals.
Does Hamas Negotiate with Israel?
Hamas views armed struggle as only one of several tools to end apartheid & occupation, such as diplomacy.
- In 2006, in an op-ed for The Guardian, Hamas chairman Ismail Haniyeh revealed that Israel refused Hamas's proposal for a truce.28
- In 2008, former Hamas chief Khaled Meshal offered a 10-year truce in exchange for a sovereign Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.® Israel rejected the proposal.
- In 2015, Hamas offered a long-term truce in exchange for simply ending the Gaza Blockade. Israel rejected it.
- In 2018, Haniyeh revived this offer by sending a handwritten letter in Hebrew to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu 31 But Israel rejected it again.
Israel repeatedly rejected Hamas's diplomatic initiatives because Israel saw no reason to end the oppressive status quo, which it believed gave it power & privileges over Palestinians with minimal downsides. Israel's benefits outweighed the costs. Hamas is trying to change that.
Is Hamas Risking Palestinian Lives?
Westerners often accuse Hamas of risking Palestinian lives by fighting apartheid and thus inviting a deadly Israeli crackdown. But the reality is that Israel's blockade is slowly killing everyone in Gaza.
“We have paid a high cost in lives in this conflict. But if that's the price for long-term changes - breaking the siege and obtaining freedom - it's one many of us feel we have no choice but to swallow.” - Haytham Besaiso, civil engineer from Gaza, 2014
“We are bleeding here, anyway [..] The Gaza Blockade crushes any opportunity for peace.”
- Ismail, anonymous journalist from Gaza, 2021
The argument that Hamas is responsible for Israel's killing of Palestinians is malicious. It blames the victims for resisting apartheid and absolves the oppressors of responsibility, treating the mass killing of children as a 'normal' Israeli response.
You don't need to support Hamas as a political party to support Palestine.
Most Palestinians don't support it as a party.
But Hamas is an effective political player in the struggle against apartheid, oppression, and colonization.
It has achieved remarkable success in preventing Israeli violence in Jerusalem®* and freeing Palestinian hostages abducted by Israel.
Hamas has institutions, ministries, student movements, and women's movements, and employs thousands of doctors, teachers, judges, and aid workers.
It is part of the fabric of Palestinian society.
So while you don't need to support Hamas to support Palestine, you cannot oppose oppression without supporting the resistance to it. You cannot support freedom while supporting Israeli efforts to wipe out those who fight for that freedom, including Hamas, to leave Palestinans defenseless.