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Who is Hamas? 5 questions about the Palestinian militant group.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to form a unity government led by Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority and head of rival Palestinian faction Fatah.  But who is Hamas?  What is their relationship with Fatah, and what might Hamas gain from reconciling with them?  Here are five key questions about Hamas.

4. How big is Hamas’s power base?

Mohammed Salem/Reuters/File
Members of Al-Qassam brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, are seen after a news conference in Gaza City on September 30, 2009.

  • By Arthur Bright Correspondent

Hamas's home turf is Gaza, which is where its security forces lie.  Haaretz reported in December 2008, just before Israel attacked Hamas in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, that Hamas had some 15,000 militants in its ranks.  Hamas's forces are made up in large part of members of the Al Qassam Brigades, who played a prominent role in both Operation Cast Lead and in the 2007 conflict with Fatah.  As a result, they remain resistant to reconciliation efforts and could undermine them, due to the influence they hold among Palestinians.

Hamas also draws support from other nations in the region.  Iran has supplied trainers and weapons to Hamas's military wing, as has Lebanon's Hezbollah, a longtime opponent of Israel.  Syria is another supporter of Hamas – Meshal's political office is in Damascus – but the recent upheaval there has spurred Hamas to begin moving staff out of the country.  Observers believe that Hamas hopes to open a headquarters in Egypt, and wants to signal that it has the potential to recast itself as more moderate.

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Mark Sappenfield
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