Hamas

More about the book

When Hamas was elected to lead Palestine in 2006, it shocked the Western world, raising questions about Palestinian support for an extremist group and its impact on the Israel/Palestine conflict. Italian journalist Paola Caridi provides a clear-eyed account of the conditions that facilitated Hamas's rise and explores the complex sentiments among Palestinians regarding a government that endorses violent resistance. By moving beyond sensationalist narratives, Caridi presents a nuanced story of a movement balancing the desire to resist oppression with the need to support a refugee population. Drawing from years of on-the-ground research and interviews with Gaza residents and Hamas leaders, she chronicles Gaza's history from its golden age as a port city to Hamas's formal emergence and gradual militarization. This English-language translation includes a previously unseen chapter on Operation Cast Lead, WikiLeaks disclosures, and the Cairo Revolution. Caridi skillfully depicts a people ensnared in a historic political struggle, revealing the complexities of the controversy and shedding light on a key player in the ongoing quest for peace and justice in the Middle East.