Hamas: A Beginner's Guide

by Khaled Hroub

Overview

This beginner's guide to Hamas has been fully revised and updated. It now covers all the major events since the January 2006 elections, including the conflict with Fatah and Israel's brutal offensive in Gaza at the end of 2008.

Explaining the reasons for Hamas's popularity, leading Al-Jazeera journalist and Cambridge academic Khaled Hroub provides the key facts that are so often missing from conventional news reports. It's a one-stop guide that gives a clear overview of Hamas's history, key beliefs, and its political agenda.

This unique book provides a refreshing perspective that gets to the heart of Hamas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780745350882
Publisher:	Pluto Press
Publication date:	03/20/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Khaled Hroub is a Palestinian, born in a refugee camp in Bethlehem. He is currently Professor in Residence of Middle Eastern Studies at Northwestern University in Qatar and former director of the Arab Media Project at Cambridge University. He is the author of numerous books including Hamas: A Beginners Guide. His articles have been published in Open Democracy, Middle East Journal, and The New Arab, among many others.

Table of Contents

Preface viii

Introduction xi

Introduction to the Second Edition xxiii

1 Hamas's history 1

Islamism and the Palestinian struggle 1

The Muslim Brotherhood roots of Hamas 6

The formation of Hamas 11

2 Hamas's ideology, strategy and objectives 15

The definition of Hamas, its ideological drive and worldview 15

What is the Hamas Charter, and is it relevant? 23

Hamas: a national liberation movement or a religious movement? 29

3 Hamas, Israel and Judaism 34

Hamas's view of the Jews 34

Hamas's view of Israel 40

4 Hamas's resistance and military strategy 45

Forcing unconditional Israeli withdrawal 45

Suicide attacks 53

5 Hamas's political and social strategy 58

Hamas's position on the various peace plans with Israel 58

Elections, democracy and mobilization 61

Hamas's economic outlook 66

Grassroots social work 68

6 Hamas and the Palestinians 76

Hamas's popularity 76

Hamas and secular Palestinian movements 81

7 Hamas and 'International Islamism' 93

Hamas and Muslim countries 93

Hamas and Muslim communities in the West 95

Hamas and Islamist movements 98

8 Hamas and the West 104

Hamas and the West 104

Hamas and the United States 108

Hamas and Europe 111

9 Hamas's leadership and structure 115

Leadership 115

Where does Hamas get its money? 133

10 A new Hamas? 136

Hamas and the 2006 elections 136

The significance of Hamas's victory in the Legislative Council elections of 2006 144

11 Hamas in power 151

The mixed fortunes of Hamas in power 151

The mixed fortunes of Hamas in power sharing and control 161

12 The future of Hamas 166

Will Hamas maintain a moderate or radical line of thinking and action? 166

Will Hamas be stronger or weaker in the foreseeable future? 167

What will be the impact of Hamas on Middle Eastern politics and stability? 170

What is Hamas's future after its full control over the Gaza Strip and the separation from the West Bank? 173

13 Hamas and the Gaza war 177

Has Hamas been weakened by the war militarily and politically? 179

Has the Gaza war strengthened or weakened Hamas's regional standing and allies? 181

Recommended reading 186

Index 189

Editorial Reviews

A timely introduction'
Guardian


A very useful summary of the Hamas movement's origins, evolution, and key positions. The book's question-and-answer format yields clear and concise positions, and Hroub deftly expands on these as he explains the nature of Hamas' discourse on resistance and its views of Israel'
CHOICE


'Could not be timelier. Drawing on his deep understanding of politics and religion in Palestine, Hroub expertly answers every important question about Hamas'
James Piscatori, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies

From the Publisher