Today
Is Hamas the government of Palestine?
EXPLAINED FROM SOURCES
The short answer
No. Hamas is not “the government of Palestine.” Palestinian politics is divided. Hamas won Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 and took control of Gaza in 2007 after fighting with its Palestinian rival, Fatah. For many years it was the de facto authority in Gaza, while the Palestinian Authority, dominated by Fatah, administered parts of the occupied West Bank.
The fuller explanation
No. Hamas is not “the government of Palestine.”
Palestinian politics is divided.
Hamas won Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 and took control of Gaza in 2007 after fighting with its Palestinian rival, Fatah. For many years it was the de facto authority in Gaza, while the Palestinian Authority, dominated by Fatah, administered parts of the occupied West Bank.
There have not been Palestinian national elections since 2006. This means millions of Palestinians alive today have never had the opportunity to vote in a national Palestinian election.
It is therefore inaccurate to treat Hamas, Palestinians and Palestinian civilians as interchangeable terms.
Hamas has also carried out attacks deliberately targeting civilians, including the 7 October 2023 attacks in Israel. Such attacks against civilians are prohibited under international humanitarian law.