Hamas: Creation, origins and history of armed struggle for Gaza

Hamas, the Palestinian armed freedom movement, derives its name from the English translation of an Arabic acronym: "Islamic Resistance Movement." The Arabic word "Hamas" also translates as "zeal."

Its origins can be traced back to the late 1970s when activists established various community-based institutions, including charities, clinics, and schools, in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. This initiative came in response to Israel's occupation of these territories in 1967.

Officially founded in December 1987, Hamas emerged during the first Intifada, a Palestinian uprising. At that time, Sheik Ahmad Yassin played a pivotal role in its establishment. 

The following year, Hamas declared that the liberation of Palestine from Israeli occupation was a religious duty for every Muslim.

Hamas engaged in its first attack against Israel in 1989 when it abducted and killed two Israeli soldiers. This event led to the arrest of Sheik Ahmad Yassin by Israel. 

Yassin was eventually released in 1997 as part of a prisoner exchange involving Mossad agents who had attempted to assassinate Hamas's political bureau chief, Khaled Meshaal, in Jordan.

In 2005, Hamas entered the realm of politics and won a significant majority in parliamentary elections the following year, surpassing its rival, Fatah. 

However, the two parties were unable to collaborate effectively, with Hamas favouring armed resistance and Fatah opting for negotiation.

Tensions between them escalated into an armed conflict in 2007, resulting in Hamas's control of the Gaza Strip and Fatah retaining the West Bank.

Presently, both the European Union and the United States designate Hamas as a terrorist organisation, while some view it as a resistance movement. Throughout its history, Hamas's commitment to Palestinian self-determination has persisted, even as its reliance on armed resistance has fluctuated.