Hamas
Palestinian Islamist militant organisation governing the Gaza Strip since 2007, designated a terrorist organisation by the US, EU, and UK.
Last refreshed: 29 March 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Hamas just broke with Iran publicly; what does it cost them?
Latest on Hamas
- What is Hamas?
- Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist movement founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. It has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007 through its military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and maintains a political bureau in Doha, Qatar.
- Did Hamas break with Iran?
- Yes. In March 2026, Hamas publicly called on Iran to stop striking Gulf neighbours, the first such open break in the relationship. The move was attributed to Qatari pressure: Qatar hosts Hamas's political bureau and was itself under Iranian Ballistic missile attack.
- Who funds Hamas?
- Iran is Hamas's principal state sponsor, channelling weapons, training, and financing through the IRGC Quds Force network since at least 2006. Qatar provides political and humanitarian funding through its role as Ceasefire interlocutor.
Background
The central tension crystallised when Hamas issued a public call for Iran to stop striking Gulf neighbours: the first open break in the relationship. The move reflected that Qatar, now absorbing Iranian missile strikes on Ras Laffan, hosts Hamas's political bureau and cannot be abandoned as a patron. It was the most operationally consequential Qatari intervention in the Hamas-Iran axis.
Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement, entered the 2026 regional war under acute cross-pressure. Founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, it governs the Gaza Strip through its military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and maintains a political bureau in Doha. Israel killed a Hamas commander in a Tripoli refugee camp as the conflict escalated. Iran remained Hamas's principal weapons supplier, channelling funds through the IRGC Quds Force network.
The break carries real costs: Iranian arms sustain the Qassam Brigades at a moment when Israeli military pressure continues in Gaza. Netanyahu's cabinet granted the IDF expanded operational authority in the same period. Hamas's positioning on the Iran conflict cannot improve conditions in Gaza, but the rupture may permanently alter the funding relationship defining its military posture since 2006.
