Hamas - A Militant Organization in the Middle East
Hamas is an Islamic resistance movement that was founded in 1987. It grew out of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Egyptian organization of the 1920s. Hamas became important during the 1987 Intifada in the occupied territories. During this rebellion Palestinians threw stones at and protested against the Israel army.
In the past years Hamas has been mainly responsible for terror against Israel. Hundreds of suicide attacks have killed civilians and officials in Israeli cities and towns.
Hamas has received help from other Arab states. Most of the money has come from Iran. It started to invest this money into the Gaza Strip where it won the sympathy of the population. It gave money to schools, built hospitals and day care centres.
One of Hamas’ aims is to replace Israel with a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In January 2006 the organization successfully took part in the Palestinian elections and won against the , up to that time, successful Fatah party. Since this election Hamas has become more moderate towards Israel. In the last two years it has made up a big part of the government in the Gaza area.
Many countries, including the United States and the European Union see Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Words
- aim = something that you want to do
- day care centre = place where old or poor people can go to and get food and clothes
- found - founded = start
- including = part of something, also
- Intifada = rebellion of the Palestinians that started in the 1980s in the land occupied by Israel
- moderate = not very extreme, not very angry
- resistance movement = here: to be against the Israelis
- responsible = soneone's fault, someone is to blame
- suicide attack = to put a bomb around your body and go to a place where there are many people and let the bomb explode