The Hamas movement: origins, activities and development in 1990-2010.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the fundamental principles and ideological foundations of Hamas, a radical Islamist and Sunni Palestinian movement. The key feature of the organization is the rejection of the existence of Israel as a State and the desire for total control over the Palestinian territories through jihad. These attitudes are deeply rooted in the Islamic doctrine of the movement. The work explores the origins of the organization's formation, basic documents and principles of functioning. Special attention is paid to the study of the decision-making mechanisms of the Hamas leadership and the motivating factors of their actions. The article also provides an overview of various points of view on the ideology and activities of Hamas. At the same time, it is noted that, despite the ambiguous assessments of the organization's methods, the international community as a whole recognizes the legitimacy of the Palestinian demands. To achieve the purpose of the study, the following methods were used: empirical – analysis of documents (to analyze the Hamas Charter), general scientific – comparative analysis (to establish the differences between the Islamic Resistance Movement and the Palestine Liberation Organization, and, especially, differences in the attitude of these organizations to reconciliation with Israel), logical methods – to formulate the conclusions of the study. The article provides an overview of various points of view on the ideology and activities of Hamas. At the same time, it is noted that, despite the ambiguous assessments of the organization's methods, the international community as a whole recognizes the legitimacy of the Palestinian demands. The radicalization of the Palestinian Hamas movement, which initially emerged as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, led to the transformation of the organization from a peaceful religious structure with a social orientation into a militant quasi-state. It is noteworthy that, despite its Sunni roots, Hamas receives funding from Shiite Iran. Current trends towards normalization of relations between Israel and the Sunni Arab States have become a catalyst for Hamas to unleash a full-scale conflict. The organization, which has consistently thwarted all attempts at peaceful dialogue between the Palestinians and Israelis, has moved to an active phase of the struggle for the liberation of Palestine, using the current geopolitical window of opportunity. The dominant processes for Hamas in the Arab Sunni environment (the prospects for Arab-Israeli and Sunni-Israeli mutual understanding in the modern historical window of opportunity) pushed the organization to a full-scale war with Israel for the liberation of Palestine.

HAMAS, genesis, Palestine, Israel, Gaza, The Flood of al-Aqsa, Arab-Israeli conflict, Middle East, history, international relations