a militant Islamic fundamentalist political movement that opposes peace with Israel and uses terrorism as a weapon; seeks to create an Islamic state in place of Israel; is opposed to the PLO and has become a leading perpetrator of terrorist activity in Israel; pioneered suicide bombing
"Hamas, which opposes peace with Israel and pioneered suicide bombing, continues to be viewed by many as a militant group seeking to replace the state of Israel with an Islamic one."
A militant Palestinianist and Sunni Muslim movement that presses for an independent, Palestinian Islamic state and the Palestinian right of return.
"Hamas is a militant Palestinianist and Sunni Muslim movement that presses for an independent, Palestinian Islamic state and the Palestinian right of return."
Hamas is an acronym for the Arabic phrase "Islamic Resistance Movement," though its name literally means enthusiasm in Arabic. The group adopted this term from a word used by Jewish religious groups, which some speakers pronounce with a guttural sound to mimic the Hebrew original.