By- Srishti Verma
Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group supported by Iran, is in charge of the Gaza Strip. According to the 1988 charter of Hamas, "Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea" — i.e., the destruction of Israel.
Immediately following the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel seized control of the Gaza Strip. Ariel Sharon, the then-Israeli prime minister, unilaterally left the coastal enclave in 2005 as a result of pressure from the United States, withdrawing every Israeli community, every resident, every military
Before Hamas launched a brief but bloody war against the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 2007, the Palestinian Authority (PA) governed Gaza for two years. Since then, Hamas and other terrorist organizations have harassed Israeli communities close to Gaza, shot tens of thousands of rockets
In 1997, the United States classified Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization, blocking its assets there, prohibiting its members from entering, and outlawing the donation of "material support or resources."
American government imposed sanctions on prominent Hamas figures and organizations linked to the group, as well as restricted monies used for Hamas-related activities. Along with 15 other European nations, Israel, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have all imposed partial or total sanctions on Hamas.
Iran provides $100 million in yearly financial and military support. Hamas officials applaud Iran for delivering long-range rockets and "cash, equipment and [military] expertise" to attack Israel
Qatar gave Hamas about $150 million in 2019, $100 million in 2020, and $360 million in 2021. Currently, Qatar provides Hamas with an estimated $120 million annually. The Gaza administration, not the terrorists, is said to be supported by it
International aid is diverted by Hamas to fund the development of its terrorist infrastructure. This prevents economic growth and exacerbates Gaza's humanitarian and environmental crises. The group limits the rights of Christians and women while criminalizing homosexuality
Hamas hides terror tunnels, weapons factories, and operational hubs under schools and in heavily populated civilian neighborhoods, using civilians as human shields. Hamas has been urged by the UN to "cease immediately" these transgressions of international law