HAMAS

Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist political and militant organisation that has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007. Its armed wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, led the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in over 250 hostages being taken, triggering the ongoing war in Gaza. The group is designated as a terrorist organisation by the European Union, United States, and several other countries, while some nations and international bodies engage with its political leadership.

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