Language
What is the difference between Hamas and Palestinians?
EXPLAINED FROM SOURCES
The short answer
Hamas is an organisation. Palestinians are a people. They are not the same thing. There are millions of Palestinians living in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and around the world. Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist political and armed organisation. It controlled Gaza’s government for many years and has carried out attacks against Israel, including deliberately attacking civilians.
The fuller explanation
Hamas is an organisation. Palestinians are a people. They are not the same thing.
There are millions of Palestinians living in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and around the world.
Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist political and armed organisation. It controlled Gaza’s government for many years and has carried out attacks against Israel, including deliberately attacking civilians.
The last Palestinian parliamentary election was in 2006. This means many Palestinians living in Gaza today were children or were not even born when that election happened.
Some Palestinians support Hamas. Others strongly oppose it. Others support different political movements or none at all.
So saying “Palestinians did this” when Hamas did something is inaccurate, just as the actions of the Israeli government do not represent the views of every Israeli or every Jewish person.