Four misconceptions about Hamas

Misconception #1: Hamas is not a terror organization 

Reality: Hamas is a terror organization. Hamas activists are often referred to as “freedom fighters,”- a term that is far from the truth. Hamas is recognized as a terror organization by Canada, New Zealand, Israel, Egypt, Japan, the European Union, Australia, Jordan, and the United States.

If you look at Hamas’ past, you’ll see countless deadly terror attacks in which Israelis were killed. This includes the Haifa bus suicide bombing on March 5th, 2003, which killed seventeen people. On June 12th, 2014, Hamas terrorists kidnapped and later murdered three Israeli teenagers, leading to operation Brother’s Keeper, and subsequently Operation Protective Edge.

It’s no wonder Hamas has carried out these attacks when its original charter, published in 1988, called for the destruction of Israel and for jihad against Israeli civilians.

Misconception #2: Hamas puts providing for its civilians as a top priority

Reality: Considering Hamas controls the Gaza Strip and is responsible for the lives of the millions who live there, it’s expected that the organization, which serves as the strip’s government, would treat providing for its civilians as a top priority. Sadly, when it comes to prioritizing, Hamas isn’t so great.

Since Hamas’ election, the situation in the Gaza Strip has been deteriorating year after year, because of 3 different things that Hamas does:

Hamas continuously uses civilian infrastructure as terror training facilities. The IDF recently discovered that Hamas converted a five-story building, originally meant to be used as a national library, government services, and housing, into a terror training facility. The building, which even had a tunnel dug underneath it for underground warfare training, was struck by the IDF following Hamas’ firing of several rockets at Israel. In the past couple of years, the IDF has also discovered other Hamas military infrastructure in neighborhoods, including next to schools and mosques. 

Hamas misuses the funds it receives from the international community that are intended for the development and overall welfare of Gazans, and instead invests in their terror activities. Such investments include over 120 million dollars since 2014 in materials to build terror tunnels leading into Israel.

Recently, while firing rockets at Israel, Hamas hit Gaza’s main power line from Israel. Hamas operatives don’t aim at precise targets, they simply fire rockets and don’t care if it harms their own people.

Misconception #3: Hamas runs the Gaza Strip democratically

Reality: Hamas came to power in a democratic way, but the terror organization’s relationship to democracy ended right after it was elected, as it has ruled the Gaza Strip through terror ever since.

In January 2006, after Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip, removing all communities and military installations, Hamas took part in the Palestinian Parliamentary Elections and won a majority of 76 seats, making it the ruling power. After a failed attempt in merging with its opposing political party, Fatah, who lost the initial elections against Hamas, the violence between both parties escalated into a bloody fight; people were thrown off rooftops and public executions took place.

Misconception #4: The 2018 demonstrations were peaceful, popular protests

Reality: Since March 2018, Hamas has been organizing riots, claiming that are peaceful, populous-initiated protests, when in reality they’ve been extremely violent. Infiltration attempts and the use of arson kites and fire bombs have taken place during the riots. Since the Gaza Strip is half a mile away from Israeli communities, infiltration would endanger Israeli civilians. Hamas intended to use its own civilians as human shields and covers for infiltration attempts and terror.

It’s important to understand who Hamas is in order to understand who is accountable for the constant terror that Israel faces in addition to the poor state the Gaza Strip is in today.