HAMAS

Beverley Milton-Edwards is a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Middle East Centre for Global Affairs. She was Professor of Politics at Queen’s University Belfast.Stephen Farrell is a journalist with Reuters news agency. He was previously Jerusalem bureau chief for Reuters and The Times and both a foreign correspondent and video journalist for the New York Times.

“If there is one book to read on Hamas, this is it: readable, rigorously researched and balanced, essential for the specialist and general reader alike.”Jason Burke, international security correspondent, The Guardian“Hamas by Beverley Milton Edwards, a leading academic expert in Islamic politics and Stephen Farrell, an outstanding journalist with deep experience of the Middle East, is at once scholarly and the most readable on its subject. Now fully updated to the present, this superbly written and unflinchingly objective book is an absolute must read for anyone who wants to understand the roots and background of the organisation which profoundly traumatised Israel on October 7 2023 as well as of the catastrophe still unfolding in Gaza.”Donald Macintyre, Author of Gaza: Preparing for Dawn“A deeply reported, insightful and up to date analysis of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. The authors craft a persuasive account of how this religiously inspired, nationalist group has used both politics and violence to advance its cause. They assess the origins and impact of the latest devastating war in Gaza and explain why an independent Palestinian state remains so elusive. A vital study of a highly influential political actor.”Rory McCarthy, Durham University“Beverley Milton-Edwards and Stephen Farrell's thoroughly revised and newly updated landmark study of Hamas is a riveting, first-hand, insightful and, at times, provocative analysis of the history of Hamas and Israeli politics and policies. It is an outstanding book that should – must - be read.”John Esposito, Georgetown University“Hamas remains one of the main Islamist organizations of the Arab world whose status, voice and influence far exceed its current base in the Gaza Strip. As Milton-Edwards and Farrell expertly show in their outstanding analysis of Hamas, the rest of the world ignores it at its peril.”Anoush Ehteshami, Durham University“This detailed and meticulously researched account of Hamas’s development since its establishment in the late 1980s should be required reading for anyone engaging with the Gaza issue. Understanding the causes of, and the form taken by, the movement’s incursion into Israel on 7 October 2023 is not possible without the sound historical perspective provided by this book."Tim Niblock, University of Exeter“In this carefully calibrated analysis,  Milton-Edwards and Farrell have again produced thego-to guide to a movement whose very essence cuts to the core of the Palestine-Israel conflict.” Clive Jones, Durham University“compelling… the authors sensitively tiptoe through contrasting and highly charged narratives, balancing allegations and facts.”The Observer“a thorough examination of Hamas … offers an invaluable insight into the perspective of the movement”Irish Times“dispenses with some pervasive myths”The Economist“Expert or novice, this is the best book for learning about Hamas”Sydney Morning Herald“This lucid and perceptive book is a valuable guide to what is at stake in the ongoing conflict.”Foreign Affairs

• IllustrationsPreface and Acknowledgements1.   What is Hamas? 2.   In the Path of Al-Qassam 3.   Sowing 4.   The First Intifada 5.   Oslo and Collapse 6.   Second Intifada 7.   Qassam Brigades 8.   Martyrs 9.   Harvesting 10.  Women 11.  Ballot 12.  Pariahs 13.  Hamastan 14.  A General Rehearsal 15.  We Are At WarChronology Notes