Hamas, from the Arabic Islamic Resistance Movement, is a militant Islamist organization that aims to represent and lead a resistance movement for the liberation of Palestine from Israeli occupation. The Movement is difficult to place on the spectrum of other non-State actors, such as Hezbollah, as since 2007, it has established itself as the de facto leader of the Gaza Strip, assuming the functions of authority and government. Despite being considered a terrorist organization by the European Union, the United States, and Israel, the group rejects this designation and its diplomatic relations with major state actors such as Iran, Qatar, and Turkey. The Jewish-Palestinian conflict is a complex and long-running conflict rooted in the 19th Century. It intensified during the 20th Century when Jewish immigration to Palestine grew significantly. This conflict focuses mainly on the struggle for land control between Jews and Palestinians in that region. Within Israeli and Palestinian societies, the conflict generates a wide variety of positions. A distinctive feature of the conflict was the level of violence perpetrated for much of its duration. There have been clashes between regular armies, paramilitary groups, terrorist cells, and independent citizens. These clashes were not strictly limited to the military camp and caused a large number of civilian casualties on both sides.
