Hamas
Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist political organisation and militant group that governs the Gaza Strip and maintains an armed wing known as the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Founded in 1987 during the First Intifada, the organisation emerged as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood with the stated goal of establishing an Islamic state in historic Palestine. Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006 and subsequently took control of Gaza in 2007 after a conflict with the rival Fatah faction, leading to a political split in Palestinian governance. The organisation combines political, social and military activities, operating schools, hospitals and welfare programmes alongside its armed resistance against Israel. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, the European Union and several other countries, while other nations and organisations view it as a legitimate resistance movement. The group has been involved in numerous armed conflicts with Israel, including rocket attacks and cross-border operations, which have prompted Israeli military responses and blockades of Gaza. Hamas's charter originally called for the destruction of Israel, though the organisation issued a revised policy document in 2017 that softened some positions while maintaining opposition to Israeli occupation. The organisation receives financial and political support from various regional actors and maintains a complex relationship with other Palestinian factions and Arab governments. Hamas remains a central actor in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a significant factor in Middle Eastern geopolitics.
Hamas Updates
Presidency notes ICJ Order on South Africa and Israel case
3rd June 2026 On 21 May 2026, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an Order setting a deadline of 22 November 2027 for South Africa to file its Reply... →
South Africa's "Urgent" Genocide Case Collapses Into a Decade of Delay
3rd June 2026 The South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) has condemned the latest developments in South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court... →
US urged France to revoke South Africa G7 invite, Pretoria says 
By: Bloomberg 26th March 2026 France withdrew an invitation for South Africa to attend a summit of Group of Seven leaders in June following pressure from the US, President Cyril... →
Mbalula Dossier: AfriForum asks US not to punish SA, but rather Mbalula
25th March 2026 The civil rights organisation AfriForum released a comprehensive report today at a media conference detailing various allegations of fraud, money... →
Fundamentally disrupted
By: Terence Creamer 20th March 2026 Peace is not merely the absence of war. Yet when conflicts rage, the foremost priority is always to find ways to stop the killing and the... →
Ramaphosa Cannot Bring Himself to Mention Hamas
19th March 2026 The South African Zionist Federation notes the Presidency's statement on Israel's ICJ response filing, and notes, above all, what it conspicuously... →
Daily Podcast – February 04, 2026
By: Lumkile Nkomfe 4th February 2026 Making headlines: Steenhuisen ends 'mission' as DA leader; South Africa to raise minimum wage 5%, exceeding expectations; And, US condemns South... →
US condemns South Africa's expulsion of Israeli diplomat
By: Reuters 4th February 2026 The United States on Tuesday condemned South Africa's decision to expel Israel's top diplomat, Ariel Seidman, last week, a State Department... →
Africa must take heed of the UN Gaza Commission’s genocide report
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 18th December 2025 Two months after the United Nations (UN) Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory concluded that a... →
 |
 |
1 |
 |
 |
