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Since its establishment on this day, December 14, 1987, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has faced significant and severe strikes targeting its leadership, cadres, organizational structure, and affiliated institutions ranging from associations, sports clubs, cultural organizations, to even governmental bodies it once managed. Operating in Palestine as an arm for the Muslim Brotherhood, the actual founding of Hamas coincided with the onset of the First Intifada, led by martyr Sheikh Ahmad Yassin alongside others, including martyr Abdel Aziz Rantisi and Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahhar, in the Gaza Strip.
**Bold Strikes and Critical Pivots in Hamas’ Path**
**The Arrest of the Founder (1989)**: The arrest of the movement’s founder, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, marked the beginning of challenges for Hamas. On May 18, 1989, Sheikh Yassin and hundreds of members of the emerging movement were arrested, leading to a life sentence on October 16, 1991. On December 13, 1992, a group of commandos belonging to Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, attempted to free Sheikh Yassin and other elderly detainees by kidnapping an Israeli soldier near Jerusalem and demanding the release of their prisoners in exchange.
**Marj al-Zuhur (1992)**: The kidnapping triggered a wide arrest campaign across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, leading to the exile of 416 members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad to southern Lebanon on December 17, 1992. Despite harsh weather conditions and scarce resources, the deportees, who became prominent through their camp in southern Lebanon, refused to accept the decision. United Nations Security Council Resolution 977 eventually secured their return, with most coming back within a year, although a few remained abroad.
**The Summit of Peacemakers (1996)**: Following a series of bombings inside Israel claimed by Hamas, the “Summit of Peacemakers” was convened in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on March 13, 1996, where combating terrorism and its funding sources was a key resolution, pointing towards Palestinian resistance.
**The Assassination Attempt on Khaled Meshaal (1997)**: On September 25, 1997, Khaled Meshaal, head of Hamas’ Political Bureau, miraculously survived an assassination attempt by Mossad agents in Amman, Jordan. The failed attempt led to Sheikh Ahmad Yassin’s release on October 1, 1997, in exchange for the release of the arrested Mossad agents. Yassin returned to Gaza on October 6, after receiving special treatment in Jordan, facing subsequent Palestinian Authority pressures, including house arrest.
**Expulsion from Amman to Doha (1999)**: Following the closure of Hamas’ offices by Jordanian authorities, its leaders were expelled to Qatar on November 21, 1999. Qatar hosted a new political office for Hamas and has maintained a special relationship with the movement to this day.
**The Al-Aqsa Intifada (2000)**: The outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada following Ariel Sharon’s incursion into the Al-Aqsa Mosque on September 28, 2000, led to massive Israeli assaults on Palestinian cities, targeting Hamas’ leaders for assassination and arrest in both Gaza and the West Bank.
**Founders’ Assassination and Aftermath (2004)**: On March 22, 2004, three Israeli Apache helicopter missiles killed Sheikh Ahmad Yassin as he left the Fajr prayers on his wheelchair from the Islamic Complex mosque in Gaza’s Sabra neighborhood. On April 17, 2004, Dr. Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, one of the founders and spokesperson for the deportees of Marj al-Zuhur, was appointed as the movement’s leader in the Gaza Strip, only to be assassinated a month later.
**Elections and Division (2006)**: After Hamas’ victory in the 2006 elections, other Palestinian factions refused to join the government, leading Ismail Haniyeh to form the government and assume the role as Prime Minister on March 19, 2006. This was followed by siege on Gaza. By mid-2007, Hamas took control over Gaza amid clashes with the Palestinian Authority’s forces, facing the challenge of managing Gaza while continuing resistance efforts, despite the imposed siege.
**Operational Milestones Highlighting Hamas’ Resilience and Strategy**
**The War of 2006**: On June 25, 2006, Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier, was captured by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Wide-ranging arrests soon followed, including the newly elected head of the Legislative Council, Aziz Dweik, and other council members. Eventually, Israel released 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit on October 18, 2011.
**Operation Cast Lead (2008)**: The war that began on December 27, 2008, aimed at ending Hamas’ rule in Gaza, failed to achieve its objectives and instead ended with Gaza’s periphery settlements becoming targets for resistance rockets.
**Pillar of Defense (2012)**: This eight-day conflict started with the assassination of Ahmed Jabari, the leader of Hamas’ military wing, and was marked by 1,500 rockets reaching as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for the first time.
**Protective Edge (2014)**: The 51-day offensive aimed at destroying Hamas and its tunnels proved futile, as the resistance launched over 8,000 rockets and captured the Israeli soldier Shaul Aaron.
**Operation Breaking Dawn (2023)**: On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian resistance launched “Operation Breaking Dawn” against Israel. The operation infiltrated settlements around Gaza, lasting approximately six hours, devastating what was known as the “Gaza Division” of the Israeli army and resulting in hundreds of casualties. In response, the Netanyahu government declared its largest aggressive campaign against the Palestinian people, without achieving its stated goals, despite two months of continuous bombing and extensive ground incursions into the Gaza Strip.
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