Hamas

Hamas is a national Palestinian movement that works with the rest of the Palestinian people and with all national and Islamic factions and bodies and people of conscience all over the world on resisting the Israeli occupation as well as liberating the Palestinian land, Jerusalem, and Islamic and Christian holy places, securing the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland and establishing a sovereign Palestinian State.

Background

Hamas is involved in serving the Palestinian people wherever they exist and in every aspect, so that they remain steadfast in their efforts to confront the occupation. Hamas sought to alleviate Palestinian suffering in all possible and effective ways with an ultimate goal to bring an end to the prolonged occupation on historical Palestine.

Hamas is a comprehensive institutional movement taking resistance against the Israeli occupation as its main goal and strategic project. It is involved in the Palestinian community politically, economically, educationally, socially, culturally and on media, popular and relief levels. The movement is active at the Palestinian, Arab, Islamic and international levels and works amongst youth, women, students and all other segments of society.

Hamas is an integral part of the Arab and Islamic nation in identity and affiliation. It is, with the entire Palestinian spectrum and resistance bodies, considered at the forefront in confronting the Israeli occupation which threatens our nation and region.

Mission

At the same time, the Arab and Islamic nation is the natural and strategic depth for the Palestinian people, their resistance and just cause.

Hamas is a national liberation movement with a moderate Islamic school of thought that confines its struggle and work in the cause of Palestine, and does not interfere in the affairs of others.

Beliefs

Hamas believes in the unity of its people in all places and the unity of religious, political and intellectual components. It upholds the rights of the Palestinian people and its national constants that Hamas refuses to be waived or compromised.

Hamas limits its struggle against the Israeli occupation only, and has no fight with any party in the world. We do not resist but who attacks our people and occupies our land. For Hamas, resistance is a mean, not an end.

Actions

Hamas does not fight and resist the Israelis because they are jews, but because they are occupiers. Hamas has no problem with anyone because of their religion, race, sect or idea; its key contradiction, however, is with the occupiers and aggressors.

For Hamas, all types of legitimate resistance are practiced to end the oppressions and injustices imposed by Israel, and it is Hamas’s right then to resist with all means, including armed resistance, guaranteed by divine and international laws.

Hamas's decision stems from its leadership, leadership institutions and from the top interest of its people and the requirements of the Palestinian cause. No one interferes in its decisions and it has no organizational overlap with any organization, party or state whatsoever. Therefore, Hamas takes whatsoever decision pertaining to its political stands based on the best interest of Palestine and the Palestinian people in Palestine and exile, without allowing any other state, political party of government to dictate its will on Hamas.

Hamas believes in and practices openness towards everyone, except those who occupied the land and who have been seeking to legitimize occupation and ongoing crimes against the Palestinians. It worked since the early days on establishing political relations with various Arab and Islamic, regional and international countries, considering that the Palestinian people have a just cause. Thus, the movement welcomes, with open hearts and minds, the communications with all nations and peoples, cultures and civilizations, based on the ground of recognition of the rights of the people of Palestine to liberate their land, and to self-determination.

Politics

Hamas exercises democracy inside its institutions, and with its people and partners in Palestine. The movement is committed to the option of free elections and resorting to the polls in constructing the Palestinian political system, and creating all national institutions with the participation of everyone. It also believes in partnership, cooperation with others and coexistence with dissenting views.