FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Over the past three months, Hamas has been at the center of world headlines, certainly not for the better.
The group, which rules the Gaza government, launched a multi-pronged offensive in southern Israel on October 7 that killed more than 1,000 civilians. The complex attack shocked Israel, which launched a punitive war aimed at removing Hamas from power in Gaza, destroying its military capabilities and freeing hostages in Gaza. Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 10,000 civilians.
The October 7 attack was coordinated and led by the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, but other armed factions have participated and fought against Israel in the ongoing war. Below are the groups that have become part of the war.
Qassam Brigades (Hamas)
The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (Qassam Brigades) is the military wing of the Hamas group, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
The Qassam Brigade has managed to increase its military capacity more and more in recent years. Founded in 1991, the Qassam Brigade is the most powerful and well-equipped armed group in Gaza. The group, which has waged several wars against Israel, has long been designated a terrorist organization in most Western countries.
The Qassam Brigades has managed to increasingly increase its military capacity in recent years, including the development of missiles and drones. Its missiles have the range to reach Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other Israeli cities, but are regularly intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome system.
The group is estimated to have 30,000 fighters, commanded by Mohammed Deif. The shadowy commander, who tops Israel's most wanted list, escaped multiple assassination attempts by Israel. Israel says he masterminded the October attack, along with Yahia Sinar, the top Hamas leader in Gaza.
Al-Quds Brigades (Islamic Jihad)
The al-Quds Brigades, or Saraya al-Quds, is the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement. It is the second largest armed group in Gaza, after the Qassam Brigades of Hamas.
The al-Quds Brigades were founded in 2000 during the second Palestinian Intifada, or uprising, against Israeli occupation. At that time, the group claimed many attacks on Israel, including suicide bombings and ambushes in Jewish settlements.
Among Palestinian militant groups, it is historically closest to Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah. The US State Department says Iran funds Islamic Jihad and its armed wing.
The armed wing of Islamic Jihad has its own missile arsenal along with underground tunnels. The rockets could also reach Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The group has about 11,000 fighters in its ranks.
Al-Nasser Brigades (Committee of Popular Resistance)
The al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, or al-Nasser Brigade, is the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees. It is considered the third largest armed group in Gaza, with several thousand fighters and an arsenal of dozens of rockets and mortar shells.
The al-Nasser Brigades group was founded in 2000 and participated in the second Palestinian Intifada. It includes fighters from various political backgrounds, including members of the Fatah movement that opposed the Oslo Accords and the Palestinian Authority.
The al-Nasser Brigades enjoy close ties to both Hamas and Islamic Jihad
The group claimed responsibility for several attacks against Israel in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. The group also claimed an attack on a US diplomatic convoy in Gaza in October 2003, which killed three US diplomats and wounded one.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades were also established with the second Intifada in 2000 by smaller cells with ties to the Fatah movement. It has since spread to the West Bank and Gaza.
In 2007, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas disbanded the armed faction and absorbed most of its members into the Palestinian Authority's security agencies.
However, some operatives have continued to operate under the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades umbrella. They have been weakened in the West Bank after a series of crackdowns by Palestinian Authority security forces.
Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades
The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades are the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, PFLP. The PFLP was originally a Marxist group founded by prominent Palestinian politician George Habash.
The brigades are named after Habash's successor, Abu Ali Mustafa, who was killed by Israel in 2001. The group responded that year by assassinating Israel's then-minister of agriculture, Rehavam Ze'evi.
The PFLP is best known for hijacking an AirFrance flight in 1979 with 248 passengers, mostly Israelis. The group diverted the flight to Entebbe in Uganda.
Israel later rescued most of the hostages in a commando operation. The rescue operation left three hostages dead, along with an Israeli soldier: Yoni Netanyahu, the older brother of current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. /Adapted "Pamphlet" from "World Crunch"
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