What is Hamas? When was the militant group set up, are they terrorists, who's in charge, and what it wants?

The group was set up over 35 years ago to 'liberate' the Palestinian territories.

Ismail Haniyeh is the current Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau.

Israel has formally declared war on Hamas after the Islamist militant group based in Gaza launched an unprecidented attack that has led to the death of over 700 Israelis.

The attacks began on Saturday, and Hamas claims to have captured over 100 hostages, including high-ranking officers, and are continuing to fire rockets into Israel.

Meanwhile Israel has moved tanks and personel carriers to the Israel-Gaza, leading to specualtion of a full ground assault.

Over 400 Palestinians have already been killed in Gaza as Israel responded to the aggression with airstrikes of its own.

Here's what we know about Hamas - the organisation now at war.

What does Hamas stand for?

Hamas is an acronym of 'Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya', meaning 'Islamic Resistance Movement'.

When was Hamas set up?

Hamas emerged in the late 1980s - officially coming into existence in 1987 - as a response to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, particularly the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. It was founded by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Palestinian cleric, and initially gained support from various quarters, including Palestinian civilians frustrated with the lack of progress in the peace process. It was an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood's Gaza branch, which has a policy of nonconfrontation when it came to Israel.

Is Hamas a terrorist organisation?

DIfferent countries and organisations have different views on whether Hamas is a terrorist organisation.

Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, Australia, the UK and the USA have all officially designated Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

New Zealand and Paraguay have have only designated its military wing as a terrorist organization.

Brazil, China, Egypt, Iran, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Syria and Turkey are among the countries who do not consider Hamas to be a terrorist organisation.

In December 2018, a resolution to condemn Hamas as a terrorist organisation failed to pass at the United Nations General Assembly.

Who leads Hamas?

Hamas' senior political leader is Ismail Haniyeh, who took up his first appointment within the organisation in 1997 and quikcly rose through the ranks, heading the list that won the Palestinian legislative elections of 2006 and being elected as Hamas political chief on May 6, 2017.

What does Hamas want?

Hamas’s ideology is rooted in Islamism, a political and religious ideology that seeks to establish Islamic rule based on Sharia law. It envisions a future Palestinian state governed by Islamic principles, although interpretations of what this entails vary within the organization. This Islamist ideology distinguishes Hamas from other Palestinian factions, such as Fatah, which is more secular in nature.

The Hamas Charter affirmed in 1988, that Hamas was founded to liberate Palestine, including modern-day Israel, from Israeli occupation.

Since 1994 the group's stance has softened somewhat, stating that it would accept a truce if Israel withdraws to the borders in place before 1967's Six Day War, paid reparations, and allowed free elections.

What is Hamas' political standing?

Hamas stands in elections in Palestine and won a parliamentary majority in January 2006, beating the Fatah party, who are affiliated with opposition party PLO. Following the victory they refused calls from the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States (known as the Quartet) to commit to nonviolence, recognition of the state of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements. This led to the Quartet's suspension of its foreign assistance programe to Palestine and to Israel imposing economic sanctions.

In March 2007, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh briefly led a national unity government but that came to an end following the 2007 Battle of Gaza when Hamas took control of Gaza, but had its officials were ousted from government positions in the West Bank. Israel and Egypt then imposed an economic blockade of the Gaza Strip.

What is Hamas' military wing?

Hamas’s military wing is known as the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and is responsible for armed resistance against Israel. Over the years, it has engaged in a range of activities, including suicide bombings, rocket attacks, and armed confrontations with Israeli forces. It is theis wing of Hamas who are responsible for the recent attacks on Israel.