Hamas' rise to power has been under scrutiny since the terror group launched attacks on Israel a week and a half ago. One expert argued it was Israel's 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip that empowered the terror group and paved their way to power.
Foundation for Defense of Democracies CEO Mark Dubowitz argued Israel's decision to pull out of the Gaza Strip and four West Bank settlements in 2005 was a "strategic mistake" that only empowered Iran-backed terror group Hamas.
"The hope was this would be the beginning of Palestinian statehood and that the Palestinians could demonstrate through their control of Gaza that they were committed to a peaceful Palestinian state living side by side with Israel. And that would encourage Israel to withdraw from the West Bank and maybe even East Jerusalem," Dubowitz said on FOX Nation's "Who is Hamas?"
"It proved to be a strategic mistake on the part of not only the Israelis, but the United States, which supported withdrawal."
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The policy, signed by then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, authorized the evacuation of Jews living in Gaza and the other settlements in the West Bank.
After years of violence from the Second Intifada, the move was an attempt to scuttle the peace process. What the disengagement policy did, however, has left both Israelis and Palestinians frustrated.
The process of relocating Jews living in areas identified for disengagement was challenging. Beginning on August 15, 2005, many Jews living there protested the decision and there were a number of clashes between Jews. It took until September 22, 2005 to complete the withdrawal.
In the aftermath, Hamas surged in popularity and gained power in the region.
"Hamas took credit," The Washington Institute for Near East Policy senior fellow Ghaith al-Omari said on FOX Nation's "Who is Hamas?," which looks at the terror group's creation and rise to power as well as core ideology.
"There was graffiti on almost every street corner in Gaza saying, ‘Three years of resistance,' meaning of terror, 'produced more than 10 years of negotiations.’"
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Hamas then transitioned into a political party, running candidates in the Palestinian parliamentary elections where they won decisive legislative victories.
By 2007, Hamas had swept full control of Gaza. According to the U.S., EU and Israel, it has maintained an iron-clad grip on Gaza since violently taking over the territory. The group is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the State Department.
"Hamas continues to govern not through the consent of the governed, as it were, but through brutality," al-Omari said in the FOX Nation special.
The militant Islamist group, which receives funding and training from Iran, imposes a strict Islamic code on its 2 million+ residents and continues to engage in fighting Israel, including firing endless rounds of rockets and incendiary devices into Israeli territory, as well as mass protests along the border fence.
Hamas launched its latest attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023. Over a week since the first shots, fighting has escalated in the region with Israel declaring war against Hamas. The initial attack was carried out on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.
At least 4,200 people have been killed in the war on both sides, including at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers and 30 Americans. Palestinian health authorities say at least 2,808 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,950 wounded. Thirteen American citizens are unaccounted for.
Israeli forces are now preparing a ground invasion of Gaza after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to defeat Hamas and "wipe them off the face of the Earth" in a speech during the swearing-in of the national emergency government at the Knesset.
For an in-depth look at the terror group's beginnings, rise to power and continued campaign against Israel, stream "Who is Hamas?" available only on FOX Nation.
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FOX News' Gabriele Regalbuto, Lawrence Richard and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
