Lords of Gaza - what is Hamas and why did it attack Israel?

International aid to the Gaza Strip has played a key role in arming Hamas, according to a senior analyst at the Center for Fundamental Rights.

Gázai övezet, 2023. október 15. A Gázai övezetet irányító Hamász palesztin iszlamista szervezet milicistái rakétákkal lövik Izraelt a Gázai övezetbõl 2023. október 14-én. A Hamász október 7-én többfrontos támadást indított Izrael ellen, ahol több mint 1300 ember életét vesztette. A Hamász elleni izraeli válaszcsapások több mint 2300 palesztin halálát okozták a Gázai övezetben. MTI/EPA/Mohamed Szaber Fotó: Mohamed Szaber

Hamas therefore, has control over Gaza and its more than two million inhabitants, which means a lot of potential jihadists for them, and is financially backed by foreign supporters. Gaza has received so much international aid in recent decades that they could have easily normalized living conditions there, but instead, the monies end up primarily in the pockets of Hamas leaders living abroad - mainly in Qatar, and they buy weapons and pay annuities to the families of martyrs who died in the fighting,

the expert said, adding that the European Union also features prominently among the foreign sponsors of terrorism, having provided funding for the construction of a water pipeline in Gaza. The pipeline never delivered a drop of water to the locals, as Hamas repurposed the pipes to make rockets.

As for the future of Hamas, the ball is in Israel's court. According to the senior analyst at the Center for Fundamental Rights, the main dilemma facing Israel now is whether to send its ground troops into the Gaza Strip. 

This would likely widen the conflict, new actors would join in, and would result in unbearably high military and civilian casualties. By upending a period of relatively tranquil detente, Hamas has proven that peaceful coexistence is not an option. This is definitely a huge dilemma for Israeli decision-makers, and the Biden administration in the US is also lobbying against a ground offensive.

said the expert, who believes Should Israel engage in ground operations, the fighting would likely end in the territory returning to long-term military rule. With nearly all Hamas leaders living abroad, an invasion would hardly bring the end of the organization, but the loss of their main base would considerably reduce their significance. If, on the other hand, Israel decides against deploying in the region, the whole conflict will increase Hamas's prestige in Islamist circles. Israel's entry into the Gaza Strip would further escalate the conflict and thwart the normalization process set in motion by the Abraham Accords.

Cover photo:  Militants of the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas fire rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip on  October 14, 2023 (Photo: MTI/EPA/Mohamed Saber)