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Islamist groups · Guide

Hamas: what it is, what its charter says and where it stands in October 2026

What Hamas is, what its 1988 charter and 2017 document say, who leads it, which countries list it as terrorist, and where Gaza and the ceasefire stand as of October 2026.

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The short answer. Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist movement and armed group, founded in December 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, that rejects Israel's existence and ran Gaza from 2007. The United States, the UK, the EU, Canada and Australia list it as a terrorist organisation. As of October 2026 a ceasefire has stood since 10 October 2025 despite continuing killings, and Hamas has not disarmed.

Key facts #

  • Sheikh Ahmed Yassin founded Hamas in December 1987, at the start of the first intifada, as the Brotherhood's arm in Gaza.1
  • Article 2 of the 1988 Covenant says: "The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the wings of Moslem Brotherhood in Palestine."2
  • On 7 October 2023 Hamas-led groups killed 1,195 people, 815 of them civilians by AFP's count, and took 251 hostages. Human Rights Watch found crimes against humanity and war crimes.5
  • The US designated Hamas a Foreign Terrorist Organization on 8 October 1997.9
  • Khalil al-Hayya, the group's chief negotiator, was announced as head of Hamas's political bureau on 20 July 2026.18
  • The Gaza ceasefire began on 10 October 2025. By 10 October 2026 Israel held about 60% of the Strip, more than 1,400 Palestinians had been killed since the ceasefire, according to Al Jazeera, and Hamas rejected the disarmament clause while saying it would hand its weapons to the Gaza administration committee.19
  • All 251 hostages were returned: the last, the remains of Ran Gvili, came back on 26 January 2026.8

What is Hamas? #

Hamas is an Islamist militant movement that grew out of the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Yassin, a cleric who had been active in the Brotherhood, founded it in December 1987. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) says its early purpose was violence against Israelis, partly to win back Palestinian support for a Brotherhood that was losing ground to Palestinian Islamic Jihad.1

It has a political side and an armed side, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. General policy is set by a consultative body often called the politburo, which sits mostly in exile.1 In 2006 Hamas won a majority in the Palestinian legislature. Fatah and its Western backers rejected the outcome, and in Gaza Hamas routed Fatah's militias in a week of fighting.1 Human Rights Watch describes it as the movement that "has governed the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip since 2007".5

What does the name Hamas mean? #

Hamas is an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, "Islamic Resistance Movement".1 The Covenant itself glosses the word as meaning "strength and bravery".2 The name signals the movement's claim that armed resistance is a religious duty. For the wider idea of jihad, see what jihad means.

What does the Hamas charter say? #

Hamas has two founding texts, and they differ. The 1988 Covenant opens with a line it attributes to Hassan al-Banna: "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it."2 Other passages include:

  • Article 7 quotes a hadith (a reported saying of the Prophet) about the Day of Judgement: "Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews)", with stones and trees calling out where a Jew hides.2
  • Article 13: "There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad."2
  • Article 22 says "the enemies" were "behind the French Revolution, the Communist revolution", and Article 32 says Zionist plans are "embodied in the 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion'", a forgery.2

On 1 May 2017 Hamas published a "Document of General Principles and Policies". The table sets the two side by side.

Topic 1988 Covenant 2017 document
The Brotherhood Article 2 calls Hamas "one of the wings" of it2 Does not mention the Brotherhood3
Jews "Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious"2 "Hamas does not wage a struggle against the Jews because they are Jewish but wages a struggle against the Zionists who occupy Palestine" (Article 16)3
Israel The land is an Islamic waqf (endowment) that no one may give up (Article 11)2 "There shall be no recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist entity" (Article 20)3
A state on 1967 lines Peace initiatives are "a waste of time" (Article 13)2 Seen as "a formula of national consensus", while rejecting any alternative to liberation "from the river to the sea" (Article 20)3
Armed struggle "Allah is its target, the Prophet is its model, the Koran its constitution: Jihad is its path" (Article 8)2 "Armed resistance" is "the strategic choice" (Article 25)3

Analysts disagree on what the 2017 text means. Aaron David Miller of the Wilson Center wrote that it lacked the 1988 charter's antisemitic language but was "clearly not intended to formally supersede" the Covenant.4

What happened on 7 October 2023? #

On 7 October 2023 Hamas-led fighters breached the Gaza border and attacked Israeli towns and a music festival. Using AFP's cross-referenced data, Human Rights Watch counted 1,195 dead, of whom 815 were civilians, and 251 hostages taken into Gaza.5 It judged the deliberate killing of civilians and the hostage-taking to be crimes against humanity.5 CFR calls it the deadliest attack in Israel's history, and the Associated Press puts the dead at about 1,200.16

A UN team led by Pramila Patten, the UN's envoy on sexual violence in conflict, reported on 4 March 2024 "reasonable grounds" to believe rape and "sexualized torture" occurred during the attack, and "clear and convincing information" that some hostages were raped in captivity. It did not meet victims, and it said some allegations were unfounded. Hamas has rejected allegations of sexual violence.7 The military chief Mohammed Deif said Hamas acted in response to Israel's occupation and "crimes" against Palestinians, as CFR reports.1

Is Hamas a terrorist organisation? #

Yes, by the law of many governments, though not all. CFR notes that dozens of countries list it, and that some list only the military wing.1 The main listings as of October 2026 are:

Country or body Listing Date
United States Foreign Terrorist Organization9 8 October 1997
Canada Listed terrorist entity10 27 November 2002
European Union Terrorist list, "Hamas (including Hamas-Izz al-Din al-Qassem)"11 12 September 2003
United Kingdom Proscribed; proscription extended in November 202112 November 2021
Australia Listed as a whole; the Brigades alone had been listed since 200313 4 March 2022

Hamas is also an issue for security services in Europe. German federal prosecutors announced on 11 September 2026 that seven suspected Hamas members were charged with preparing an attack and procuring a rifle, 13 pistols and more than 700 rounds; the weapons were allegedly meant for Israeli or Jewish targets in Germany or Austria. These are charges, not verdicts.14 Europol reports that on 25 March 2026 a Berlin court sentenced four men for Hamas membership and found that Hamas carries out "operational activities" in Europe to prepare possible attacks, although no concrete plans were proved at that trial.15 See the Europe attacks guide, and the Australian guide for Australia's listing.

Who are the Hamas leaders? #

Israel has killed most of Hamas's senior figures since 2023, which has made the leadership hard to track.1 As of October 2026:

Person Role Fate or status
Ahmed Yassin Founder Killed by Israel in 20041
Ismail Haniyeh Political chief from 2017 Killed in Tehran on 31 July 2024; Israel's defence minister confirmed responsibility on 23 December 202416
Yahya Sinwar Gaza leader; succeeded Haniyeh as political chief Killed in Rafah on 16 October 202417
Mohammed Deif, Mohammed Sinwar Military chiefs Killed by Israel (Deif in a Khan Younis strike; Mohammed Sinwar in May 2025)1
Khalil al-Hayya Chief negotiator; head of the political bureau Announced 20 July 2026, defeating Khaled Meshaal18
Ali al-Amoudi (Abu Ahmed) Described by Israeli analyst Michael Milshtein as Hamas's de facto leader in Gaza; deputy leader in the Strip after Yahya Sinwar's death Freed in the 2011 Shalit exchange; Milshtein writes that an Israeli attempt on his life "increasingly appears to have failed"25

After Sinwar's death a five-member council, headed by the Shura Council chief Mohammed Darwish, ran the movement until the July 2026 vote. Al-Hayya survived an Israeli strike in Doha in 2025 in which one of his sons was killed.18 CFR reported in October 2025 that Izz al-Din al-Haddad was believed to be the top commander in Gaza; I could not confirm his status in October 2026.1 For the ideas behind such groups, see the Islamist ideologues guide.

What is happening in Gaza now? #

As of 10 October 2026 the ceasefire exists on paper but the plan behind it is stalled. The key dates:

  • 10 October 2025: the ceasefire began under President Trump's plan.19
  • 26 January 2026: the last hostage's remains were returned to Israel.8
  • 21 May 2026: the Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov proposed a 15-point roadmap covering reconstruction, disarmament, phased Israeli withdrawal and policing.20
  • 30 and 31 July 2026: Hamas approved the Board of Peace plan, which sets "One Authority, One Law, One Weapon" under a Palestinian national committee, with Israeli withdrawal tied to disarmament. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected it.2120
  • 10 October 2026: Al Jazeera reported that Hamas had agreed to hand weapons to the committee but rejected the disarmament clause, that Israel would not advance the plan unless Hamas disarmed, and that no international stabilisation force had deployed.19

Al Jazeera reports more than 74,000 Palestinians killed since the war began.19 The Gaza Health Ministry, which CFR calls Hamas-run, reported 73,438 dead by 28 August 2026; I could not check its figures independently.120

How are Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood linked? #

Hamas began as the Brotherhood's Palestinian branch and its Covenant says so.2 The 2015 UK Jenkins review concluded that the Brotherhood had "deliberately, wittingly and openly incubated and sustained" Hamas.23 The 2017 document does not mention the Brotherhood at all, Miller noted.4 On 13 January 2026 the US Treasury designated the Egyptian and Jordanian Brotherhood chapters partly for supporting Hamas.24 See the Muslim Brotherhood guide.

Hamas also draws on outside backers. CFR says Iran is among its biggest benefactors, putting Iranian funding of Hamas and other groups at about $100 million a year on a 2021 US State Department estimate, that Turkey has been a stalwart backer (Ankara says its support is only political), and that Qatar hosts its political office.1 Iran leads the network known as the "axis of resistance", covered in the Hezbollah and Iran guide.

What cuts the other way? #

  • Hamas is not the Palestinian people. CFR reports that before 7 October the group was unpopular in Gaza and the West Bank, though still preferred to other factions. A September 2024 Palestinian poll found support for the attack at 39%, down 18 points in six months, and its authors cautioned that support for the attack does not mean support for Hamas.1
  • Civilians in Gaza have suffered heavily. A UN Commission of Inquiry concluded on 16 September 2025 that Israel committed genocide in Gaza. Israel's ambassador in Geneva called the report "libellous" and said it was written by "Hamas proxies".22
  • The 2017 document did soften some language. It separated Zionism from Judaism, even if it left the Covenant in place.4
  • Criticising Israel is not the same as backing Hamas. Protest, charity and advocacy for Gaza are lawful. The documented Hamas threat is in its texts, its violence and the plots above.

Questions people ask #

What is Hamas? #

Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist movement with a political leadership and an armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. It was founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. It rejects Israel's existence, won the 2006 Palestinian election and ran Gaza from 2007. Its attack on 7 October 2023 killed about 1,200 people.

What does Hamas mean? #

Hamas is an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, which means "Islamic Resistance Movement". The Arabic word hamas itself means strength or bravery, which is how the movement's 1988 Covenant glosses it. The name presents armed resistance to Israel as a religious obligation rather than only a political choice.

Is Hamas a terrorist organisation? #

The United States has listed Hamas as a Foreign Terrorist Organization since 1997. The European Union, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia also list it. Human Rights Watch concluded that its 7 October 2023 attack involved crimes against humanity. Some governments list only the military wing, and some countries do not list the movement at all.

Who is the leader of Hamas? #

Khalil al-Hayya was announced as head of Hamas's political bureau on 20 July 2026. He had led its negotiations with Israel and beat the former chief Khaled Meshaal in the vote. He follows Yahya Sinwar, killed in October 2024, and Ismail Haniyeh, killed in July 2024. A council under Mohammed Darwish ran the movement in between.

What is the difference between Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood? #

Hamas is the Brotherhood's Palestinian offshoot and uses armed force. Most other Brotherhood branches work through preaching, charity and politics. Hamas's 1988 Covenant calls it "one of the wings" of the Brotherhood, but the 2017 document does not mention the Brotherhood. The United States has designated some Brotherhood chapters for supporting Hamas.

Is Hamas the same as the Palestinian Authority? #

No. The Palestinian Authority, led by Fatah, governs parts of the West Bank and has formally renounced violence. Hamas won the 2006 legislative election, then fought Fatah and took control of Gaza in 2007. The two have been rivals since, and Palestinians have not voted for a legislature since 2006.

Who leads Hamas in Gaza? #

The political bureau head, Khalil al-Hayya, is based outside Gaza. Inside the Strip, Israeli analyst Michael Milshtein wrote in Ynet that Ali al-Amoudi, a prisoner freed in the 2011 Gilad Shalit exchange who became deputy Hamas leader in Gaza after Yahya Sinwar was killed, is now its de facto leader. This is one analyst's assessment, and Hamas's internal chain of command is not publicly confirmed.

  1. Council on Foreign Relations, "What Is Hamas?", Backgrounder, updated 6 October 2025. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounders/what-hamas ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  2. "The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)", 18 August 1988 (preamble and Articles 2, 7, 8, 11, 13, 15, 22 and 32), Avalon Project, Yale Law School. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  3. "Hamas in 2017: The document in full", Middle East Eye, 2 May 2017 (Articles 1, 16, 20 and 25). https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hamas-2017-document-full ↩↩↩↩↩

  4. Aaron David Miller, Wilson Center, on Hamas's new policy document, 2 May 2017. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/hamas-rebranding-new-manifesto ↩↩↩

  5. Human Rights Watch, "October 7 Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes by Hamas-led Groups", 17 July 2024. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/07/17/october-7-crimes-against-humanity-war-crimes-hamas-led-groups ↩↩↩↩

  6. Associated Press, "A look at the hostages left in Gaza by the numbers", PBS NewsHour, 15 October 2025. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/a-look-at-the-hostages-left-in-gaza-by-the-numbers ↩

  7. Associated Press, "UN report finds 'reasonable grounds to believe' Hamas committed sexual violence during Oct. 7 attack on Israel", 4 March 2024. https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2024/03/04/un-report-finds-reasonable-grounds-to-believe-hamas-committed-sexual-violence-during-oct-7-attack-on-israel/ ↩

  8. Al-Monitor, "Israel returns remains of last Gaza hostage Ran Gvili", 26 January 2026. https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/01/israel-returns-remains-last-gaza-hostage-ran-gvili ↩↩

  9. US Department of State, "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" (HAMAS, 8 October 1997), viewed 13 October 2026. https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations ↩↩

  10. Public Safety Canada, "Currently listed entities" (Hamas listed 27 November 2002), viewed 13 October 2026. https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/lstd-ntts/crrnt-lstd-ntts-en.aspx ↩

  11. Council Decision 2003/646/EC of 12 September 2003, Official Journal L 229, EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32003D0646 ; Wikipedia, "Hamas" (lead lists the EU among current designators). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas ↩

  12. UK Home Office, "Proscribed terrorist groups or organisations", updated 7 July 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proscribed-terror-groups-or-organisations--2/proscribed-terrorist-groups-or-organisations-accessible-version ↩

  13. Australian Government, National Security, "Listed terrorist organisations" (Hamas 4 March 2022), viewed 13 October 2026. https://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/what-australia-is-doing/terrorist-organisations/listed-terrorist-organisations ; Minister for Home Affairs, "Hamas listed as terrorist organisation", 4 March 2022 (Brigades listed "since 2003"). https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/KarenAndrews/Pages/hamas-listed-as-terrorist-organisation.aspx ↩

  14. Associated Press, "Germany charges seven suspected Hamas members over planned attack", Cyprus Mail, 11 September 2026. https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/09/11/germany-charges-seven-suspected-hamas-members-over-planned-attack ↩

  15. Europol, EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report 2026 (TE-SAT), 2026, case example and footnote 19. https://www.europol.europa.eu/cms/sites/default/files/documents/EU-TE-SAT-2026.pdf ↩

  16. Al Jazeera, "Thousands mourn Hamas leader Haniyeh in Iran amid calls for revenge", 1 August 2024. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/1/thousands-mourn-hamas-leader-haniyeh-in-iran-amid-calls-for-revenge ; The Times of Israel, "Defense Minister Katz confirms for first time: Israel assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran", 23 December 2024. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/defense-minister-katz-confirms-for-first-time-israel-assassinated-hamas-leader-ismail-haniyeh-in-tehran/ ↩

  17. The Times of Israel, "Hamas leader and Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar killed by IDF troops in Gaza", 17 October 2024. https://www.timesofisrael.com/high-likelihood-hamas-leader-oct-7-mastermind-yahya-sinwar-killed-by-troops-in-gaza/ ↩

  18. Khaleej Times, report on Khalil Al Hayya's election as head of Hamas's political bureau, 20 July 2026. https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/mena/hamas-khalil-al-hayya-new-chief ↩↩↩

  19. Al Jazeera, "What has Trump's Board of Peace achieved in a year since Gaza 'ceasefire'?", 10 October 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/10/what-has-trumps-board-of-peace-achieved-in-a-year-since-gaza ↩↩↩↩

  20. Al Jazeera, "Board of Peace envoy Mladenov warns Gaza ceasefire risks 'collapse'", 28 August 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/28/board-of-peace-envoy-mladenov-warns-gaza-ceasefire-risks-collapse ↩↩↩

  21. The Times of Israel, "Full text of Board of Peace deal for Hamas to disarm, Israel to withdraw from Gaza", 31 July 2026. https://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-of-board-of-peace-deal-for-hamas-to-disarm-israel-to-withdraw-from-gaza/ ↩

  22. Australian Associated Press, "UN inquiry finds Israel is committing genocide in Gaza Strip", InDaily, 17 September 2025. https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2025/09/17/un-inquiry-finds-israel-is-committing-genocide-in-gaza-strip ; UN News, "Israel responsible for four genocidal acts in Gaza, inquiry chair tells General Assembly", 28 October 2025. https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/10/1166201 ↩

  23. HM Government, "Muslim Brotherhood Review: Main Findings", HC 679, 17 December 2015. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a8076bfe5274a2e8ab504ab/53163_Muslim_Brotherhood_Review_-_PRINT.pdf ↩

  24. US Department of the Treasury, "Treasury and State Departments Designate Muslim Brotherhood Branches as Terrorist Organizations", press release sb0357, 13 January 2026. https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0357 ↩

  25. Michael Milshtein, "Who is Ali al-Amoudi, the man now leading Hamas in Gaza?", Ynet News (analysis; the page shows no date, viewed 24 October 2026). https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/skomsrwszl ↩

Cite as: The Analyst, "Hamas: what it is, its charter, leaders and Gaza in 2026", Fighting Islamists, updated 24 October 2026. https://fightingislamists.com/hamas.html

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