Global InformationHamas government in the Gaza Strip information
| Hamas government in the Gaza Strip | |
|---|---|
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| Overview | |
| Established | 14 June 2007 |
| State | Gaza Strip, State of Palestine |
| Leader | Yahya Sinwar (Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip since February 2017) |
| Headquarters | Gaza City |
| Website | pmc |
Politics of the Gaza Strip |
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Hamas has governed the Gaza Strip in Palestine since its takeover of the region from rival party Fatah in June 2007.[1][2][3] Hamas' government was led by Ismail Haniyeh from 2007 until February 2017, when Haniyeh was replaced as leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip by Yahya Sinwar.[4] As of November 2023, Yahya Sinwar continues to be the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In January 2024, due to the ongoing Israel–Hamas war, Israel said that Hamas lost control of most of the northern part of the Gaza Strip.[5][6] In May 2024, Hamas regrouped in the north.[7][8]
After Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections on 25 January 2006, Ismail Haniyeh was nominated Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority,[9] establishing a Palestinian national unity government with Fatah. This government effectively collapsed with the outbreak of the violent conflict between Hamas and Fatah. After the takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas on 14 June 2007, Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas dismissed the Hamas-led government and appointed Salam Fayyad Prime Minister.[10] Though the new Ramallah-based Palestinian government's authority was claimed to extend to both the Palestinian territories, in effect it became limited to the West Bank, as Hamas did not recognize the dismissal and continued to rule the Gaza Strip.[11] Both administrations – Abbas' Fatah government in Ramallah and the Hamas government in Gaza – regarded themselves as the sole legitimate government of the Palestinian National Authority. The international community, however, recognized the Ramallah administration as the legitimate government.
Since the division between the two parties, there have been conflicts between Hamas and similar factions operating in Gaza, and with Israel, including the Gaza War of 2008–2009, the 2014 Gaza War and most notably the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.
The radicalization of the leadership of the Gaza Strip had previously motivated internal conflicts between different groups, in events like 2009 Hamas crackdown on Jund Ansar Allah, an al-Qaeda affiliated group, resulting in 22 people killed; and the April 2011 Hamas crackdown on Jahafil Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad fi Filastin, a Salafist group involved in Vittorio Arrigoni's murder.[12][13]
Negotiations toward reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, which were mediated by Egypt, produced a preliminary agreement in 2011, which was supposed to be implemented by May 2012 through joint elections. Despite the peace plan, Palestinian sources were quoted in January 2012 as saying that the May joint elections "would not be possible". In February 2012, Hamas' Khaled Meshal and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signed the Hamas–Fatah Doha agreement. A unity government was sworn on 2 June 2014.[14] The government was supposed to exercise its functions in Gaza and the West Bank, and prepare for national elections, though that did not happen, with disagreements between the two parties.[15] With the failure of the national unity government, the Palestinian National Authority continued to exercise power only in the West Bank, while Hamas remained in power in the Gaza Strip.
- ^ "Hamas' Gaza chief begins regional tour, to meet Ahmadinejad, Gulf leaders". Al Arabiya News. 30 January 2012. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ^ Avnery, Uri (14 April 2011). "Israel Must Recognize Hamas' Government in Gaza". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ "Hamas delivers free meals to Gaza's poor". aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-19. Retrieved 2011-12-20.
- ^ "The Palestinians try to reconcile". The Economist. 5 October 2017.
- ^ "Hamas command in north Gaza destroyed, Israel says". BBC. 2024-01-06. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ Burke, Jason (2024-01-30). "Hamas regroups in northern Gaza to prepare new offensive". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ "Israel moves deeper into Rafah and fights Hamas militants regrouping in northern Gaza". AP News. 2024-05-12. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
- ^ Ebrahim, Nadeen (2024-05-13). "Israel's return to areas of Gaza it said were clear of Hamas raises doubts about its military strategy". CNN. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
- ^ "Big Hamas win in Gaza's election". BBC. 2005-01-28. Archived from the original on 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2010-06-19.
- ^ "Hamas battles for control of Gaza". The Guardian. 16 June 2007. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2016-12-11.
- ^ "Hamas controls Gaza, says it will stay in power". CNN. Archived from the original on 2007-06-30. Retrieved 2007-06-16.
- ^ "Salafist ideological challenge to Hamas in Gaza". BBC News. 2011-05-13. Archived from the original on 2022-08-25. Retrieved 2018-06-20.
- ^ "Hamas police clash with Salafists in Gaza". News24. Archived from the original on 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
- ^ "Palestinian unity government sworn in by Mahmoud Abbas". BBC. 2 June 2014. Archived from the original on 3 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
- ^ "What's delaying Palestinian elections?". Al-Monitor. 22 January 2016. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.