The Atlantic

Hamas’s Attack Confounds Middle East Experts

Even those who understand the fundamentalist group best are struggling to understand what they are trying to achieve.
Source: Mohammed Abed / AFP / Getty

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Israel is at war, and has ordered a complete siege of Gaza after Hamas’s surprise attack on Saturday. Hamas is holding at least 150 hostages, and more than 900 Israelis and more than 600 Palestinians have been killed. As we continue to follow these developments, we’ll take a step back today to focus on Hamas, its aims, and its influence on the region.


What Is Hamas?

Hamas, an Islamist fundamentalist group formed in 1987 as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, has controlled the Gaza Strip since it won Palestinian

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