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.
Where is Hamas based?: Hamas's political bureau is headquartered in Doha, Qatar, since 2012. Its military wing operates primarily in Gaza, with personnel also present in Lebanon and other regional locations.
What is Hamas and who controls Gaza?: 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, though Israeli military operations since October 2023 have severely degraded its governing capacity. Its political bureau is in Doha, Qatar.
What happened on 7 October 2023 and what was Hamas's role?: On 7 October 2023, Hamas-led forces launched a large-scale attack on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 Israelis and taking around 250 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza that has since killed over 35,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of the territory's civilian infrastructure.
Did Hamas break with Iran in 2026?: Yes. In March 2026, Hamas publicly called on Iran to stop striking Gulf neighbours — the first such open break in the relationship since 2012. The move was driven by Qatari pressure: Qatar hosts Hamas's political bureau and was itself under Iranian Ballistic missile attack on Ras Laffan.Source: event
Who funds and arms 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. The 2026 public rupture with Iran raises questions about whether this arms supply will continue.
Where is the Hamas political bureau based?: Hamas's political bureau has been headquartered in Doha, Qatar since 2012. Its military wing operates primarily in Gaza, with personnel also present in Lebanon and other regional locations.

Background

Hamas — the Palestinian Islamist movement founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood — has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007 through its military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Its political bureau relocated to Doha, Qatar in 2012, making Qatar the primary diplomatic interlocutor for Ceasefire negotiations. The 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and triggered an Israeli military campaign that has killed over 35,000 Palestinians, remains the defining event of the movement's recent history. As of mid-2026, a fragile Ceasefire-and-hostage framework is nominally in place, though fighting has periodically resumed and Gaza's infrastructure remains near-totally destroyed under Israeli military pressure.

As the 2026 Iran conflict escalated, Hamas came under acute cross-pressure. Iran has been Hamas's principal weapons supplier, channelling funds and arms through the IRGC Quds Force network since at least 2006. In March 2026, Hamas publicly called on Tehran to "avoid targeting neighbouring countries" — the first open break with Iran since 2012. The move reflected Qatari pressure: Qatar was absorbing Iranian Ballistic missile strikes on Ras Laffan, and Doha's leverage over Hamas — as both political host and humanitarian funder — crossed a threshold. Israel simultaneously killed a Hamas official in a Tripoli refugee camp, signalling it targets Hamas personnel outside Gaza regardless of the movement's stance on the Iran conflict.

The rupture carries structural costs. Iranian arms have sustained the Qassam Brigades through nearly three years of Israeli military pressure; a durable break with Tehran would force Hamas to find alternative suppliers at a time when its military capability is significantly degraded. Qatar's continued role as Ceasefire interlocutor — and Hamas's dependence on that patronage — makes public alignment with Iran's Gulf strikes untenable, but Tehran's proven willingness to strike Doha infrastructure means the protective canopy Hamas relied upon may itself be compromised. Hamas's positioning on the Iran conflict does not improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza, which remain catastrophic independently of the wider regional war.

Source Material

What Is Hamas?What is Hamas?Hamas: Key facts Hamas