Throughline (NPR): "A History of Hamas"
First aired: November 2023 | Rebroadcast: October 9, 2025
Hosts: Ramtin Arablouei & Rund Abdelfatah

Overview

This episode of Throughline traces the origins, growth, and impact of Hamas within the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Using historical analysis and expert interviews, the hosts explore the roots of Hamas's ideology, its rise amid Palestinian despair, the shifting strategies of resistance, and its direct role in the modern landscape of Gaza. The episode addresses common questions about who Hamas is, what it represents, and how its evolution has shaped and been shaped by regional and international political developments.

Main Themes

• The foundation and ideological roots of Hamas
• The context of the first and second intifadas
• Hamas's opposition to diplomacy and the Oslo Accords
• How regional and international players influenced Hamas's evolution
• The effects of internal Palestinian divisions and external blockades
• The humanitarian impact of Hamas's rule and Israel's response
• The broader issue of Palestinian self-determination beyond Hamas

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Early Foundations of Hamas

[00:17–11:32]

• Begun as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood during the turbulence of the First Intifada in 1987.
• Hamas: Acronym for "Islamic Resistance Movement" (Arabic: "Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya") and means zeal or passion.
• “Hamas’s overall vision was a Palestinian state in all of the land of historical Palestine, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River.” — Khalid Elgindi, author and former advisor to Palestinian leadership [06:20].
• Unlike secular/leftist groups (e.g., Fatah), Hamas centralized Islam as the path to liberation.

Notable Quote:
“There’s no solution for the Palestinian question except through jihad. Initiatives, proposals, and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors.” — [Charter excerpt, read by Devin Katiyama, 07:26]

• Hamas’s founding charter included antisemitic language, cited conspiracy theories, and called for the destruction of Israel [09:11; 09:20].
• The founders were insular—"Three people wrote it and they'd never been outside of Gaza" — Martin Kiir, lecturer and author [08:32].

2. Socio-Historical Roots and International Context

[13:01–17:41]

• The rise of Islamist movements as a reaction to colonial incursions and a sense of lost Muslim power/legacy.
• Muslim Brotherhood: key ideological precursor, focused on social services and religious revival.
• Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Gaza-based quadriplegic refugee, led local Muslim Brotherhood outreach (charitable and religious work with Israeli approval), which later incubated Hamas.

Notable Quote:
"He was an action-oriented leader...when I say action, it doesn’t necessarily mean violence. We need to be the controllers of our own destiny." — Martin Kiir on Sheikh Ahmed Yassin [16:13]

• Early Israeli tolerance, even facilitation, of Hamas's precursors is described as a grave miscalculation—"the original sin of the Israeli authorities" [18:27].

3. From Social Movement to Armed Resistance

[17:41–24:26]

• Frustrations with both the occupation and the perceived failures, luxury, and distance of the PLO/Fatah allowed Hamas’s grassroots-based leadership to gain credibility in Gaza.
• Hamas’s kidnapping and killing of Israeli border policeman Nassim Toledano [21:01–21:28], amid peace talks, led Israel to deport 415 Hamas activists to Lebanon [22:28].
• International media attention during the Lebanon deportation increased Hamas’s visibility and allowed it to establish ties with Hezbollah, who introduced them to suicide terrorism tactics [25:06–25:38].

Notable Quote:
"Hezbollah introduces Hamas to the idea of suicide terrorism, to car bombs, a more violent resistance to Israeli occupation." — Martin Kiir [25:27]

4. The Oslo Accords and the Politics of Disappointment

[27:37–31:31]

• Oslo Accords (1993): Intended to transfer some autonomy to the Palestinian Authority but maintained Israeli control over money, borders, and key resources. Many Palestinians saw this as a loss.
• Hamas opposed Oslo from the start, branding it "the biggest betrayal of Palestinian nationalism ever" [30:37].

Notable Discussion:
"Hamas had gained enormous support and popularity ... it was fast becoming the dominant resistance movement...well, what if there's a genuine peace agreement between the PLO and Israel? Where does that put us? How are we supposed to resist?" — Martin Kiir [31:05]

5. Cycles of Violence and Tactical Shifts

[31:31–37:17]

• Incidents like Baruch Goldstein's massacre of 29 Palestinians in Hebron’s Cave of the Patriarchs [32:37–33:09] led Hamas to begin targeting Israeli civilians (bus bombings, shopping centers) with suicide bombings.
• Hamas’s aim: to disrupt the peace process and deter Israel through reciprocal violence.

Key Quote:
"Hamas uses that moment to really change the scale and the type of its resistance... basically saying, if you kill Palestinian civilians, your civilians will also die." — Tariq Bakoni [35:04]

• Israeli retaliatory measures increased Palestinian despair, enabling further radicalization and undermining peace efforts.

6. The Second Intifada and Hamas’s Rise to Power

[38:42–46:59]

• The Second Intifada (from 2000) was much bloodier; all major Palestinian factions participated in violence.
• Israel's 2005 unilateral withdrawal from Gaza paved the way for Hamas’s electoral participation.
• Despite US encouragement for Palestinian elections, Hamas's victory prompted an international boycott when they refused to renounce violence or recognize Israel [44:25].
• Western pressure and the resulting embargo created dire economic consequences, leading to a brief unity government (Mecca Agreement) that soon collapsed as Israel, the US, and the Palestinian Authority clashed with Hamas.

7. Gaza Blockade and Civil War

[46:59–51:46]

• The 2007 civil war led Hamas to forcibly eject Fatah from Gaza, resulting in a de facto split: Fatah in the West Bank, Hamas in Gaza.
• Israel tightly blockaded Gaza—controlling goods, fuel, and people, and deliberately calibrating deprivation to avoid humanitarian catastrophe but keep pressure (the "calorie count" policy).
• Iran and, to a lesser extent, Qatar, provided Hamas financial and military support. Israel allegedly enabled Qatari funds, preferring a divided Palestinian polity [51:00].

Notable Quote:
"They were taking a lot of money coming, but Hamas used it in order to develop its military capabilities against Israel...They are concentrating on fighting against Israel." — David Hakam [50:21]

8. Hamas’s Role and Representation

[51:46–52:32]

• Hamas’s existence and strategies are seen as symptoms of deeper, unresolved Palestinian aspirations and grievances over occupation, displacement, and self-determination.
• “The issue isn’t Hamas. The issue is always the Palestinian political demands...The Palestinian Liberation project, like any liberation project, is diverse and multifaceted. Hamas is one faction in that..." — Tariq Bakoni [51:46]

Notable Quotes & Time-stamps

• “There’s no solution for the Palestinian question except through jihad.” — Hamas Charter (Devin Katiyama, 07:26)
• “They were Islamist. Whereas most of the Palestinian factions ... were either leftist ... or centrist.” — Khalid Elgindi [06:40]
• “Three people wrote [the charter] and they'd never been outside of Gaza, never traveled.” — Martin Kiir [08:32]
• “Hezbollah introduces Hamas to the idea of suicide terrorism, to car bombs, a more violent resistance...” — Martin Kiir [25:27]
• "Hamas had gained enormous support... it was fast becoming the dominant resistance movement.” — Martin Kiir [31:05]
• “If you kill Palestinian civilians, your civilians will also die.” — Tariq Bakoni [35:04]
• “Hamas uses that moment to really change the scale and the type of its resistance...” — Tariq Bakoni [35:04]
• "They are concentrating on fighting against Israel." — David Hakam [50:21]
• “The issue isn’t Hamas. The issue is always the Palestinian political demands...” — Tariq Bakoni [51:46]

Key Timeline of Events (with Timestamps)

• First Intifada / Founding of Hamas: [00:17–11:32]
• Muslim Brotherhood, Sheikh Yassin: [13:01–17:41]
• Charity roots to armed resistance: [16:45–18:27]
• Deportation to Lebanon, Hezbollah connection: [22:28–25:38]
• Oslo Accords and Hamas’s rejection: [27:37–31:31]
• Rise of suicide terrorism and attacks on civilians: [32:37–37:17]
• Second Intifada, assassination of Yassin: [38:42–41:19]
• Israeli withdrawal from Gaza & Hamas electoral victory: [41:19–44:10]
• Economic blockade and Hamas-Fatah schism: [44:50–47:24]
• Israeli blockade of Gaza explained: [47:24–48:31]
• Regional and international funding: [49:21–51:00]
• Debate over Hamas’s role and meaning: [51:46–52:32]

Conclusion

Throughline’s "A History of Hamas" offers a tightly woven narrative of the organization's rise against a backdrop of occupation, disappointment with diplomacy, and shifting regional politics. Expert voices reveal how Hamas both reflects and reshapes the Palestinian national project, balancing religious ideology, armed tactics, and political maneuvering amid unending cycles of violence. The episode emphasizes that the issues go far deeper than any one faction and continue to shape the lives of Palestinians and Israelis today.