S. Also, U.S. is historically close to Israel and therefore supports the cause of this state. The demand of U.S. And Israel is that Hamas renounces using terrorist attacks and recognizes the state of Israel and the agreements made between Palestine and Israel. If Hamas continues its terrorist practices, U.S. And Israel threatened to cut off any humanitarian aid given to the Palestinians. This decision could be problematic because it will then make Hamas turn to Iran and other countries which are declared as anti-American. One characteristic of terrorist groups is that they use suicide attacks as weapons in their war. Hamas also relies heavily in making its voice heard on violent suicide attacks, which are seen as its asymmetric warfare against Israel. Hamas used suicide attacks in order to bomb civilian facilities such as buses, markets, and restaurants, aiming to causing numerous damages against Israeli population, considered the same as the military personnel of Israel. Suicide bombings have the benefit of producing a huge wave of attention towards the organization that generated it, especially because of the dramatic number of civilian victims of suicide attacks. One of the most deadly suicide attack performed by Hamas was the bombing of a hotel on March 27, 2002, in which 30 people were killed and 140 were wounded.

The other methods used by Hamas to intimidate its adversary and promote fear among the Israeli population are kidnappings, shootings and knife attacks. Another method used by Hamas in their attacks against Israel is that of rocket attacks. "Since 2002, Hamas has used homemade Qassam rockets to hit Israeli towns in Negev, such as Sderot. The introduction of the Qassam-2 rocket has allowed Hamas to reach large Israeli cities such as Ashkelon, bringing great concern to the Israeli populace and many attempts by the Israeli military to stop the proliferation and use of the rockets." The level of military capacity of Hamas is quite concerning.

Since the military wing of Hamas is very important, the organization developed the military capacity to conduct large scale operations. With the support of its financial donors, Hamas managed to create a powerful army, having the military logistics needed to conduct its operations. The organization uses mainly Improvised Explosive Devices and anti-tank missiles in its military operations and they have proven effective. Despite the large arsenal of weapons belonging to Hamas, it is difficult for authorities to find these weapons because the population, especially in Gaza, is highly supportive of Hamas, making it difficult for authorities to discover hiding places.

No terrorist organization could be effective without the involvement of people that are highly devoted to the cause they are fighting for, so devoted that they are willing to commit suicide attacks. The recruitment of such people is one of the main challenges of terrorist organizations. The main targets for the recruitment of suicide bombers are represented by young and deeply religious men, although the attackers have been on several occasions older and women. The attackers are recruited based on their religious beliefs which range as far as committing suicide in the name of their beliefs. Contrary to the appearances, the suicide bombers do not fit the psychological profile of suicidal people and they commit suicide not out of despair or depression, but in the name of a higher cause. The attackers are regular people with a predilection towards extremist religious beliefs, united by a deeply rooted hatred against Israel. The family of the suicidal attacker is assured that he died as a martyr for Jihad and is given an amount of money that would assure its financial aid.

The bombers are volunteers which are exposed to intense religious indoctrination and prepared for the "sacred explosion," as Hamas calls it. They are convinced that they...

Its actions have been blamed repeatedly by the international community. Human Rights Watch issued in a 2002 report that Hamas leaders should be held responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes. Hamas is responsible for a great number of attacks against Israeli population and against other Palestinians, either supporters of Fatah or suspects of collaborating with the Israelis.
Hamas should be perceived as a threat because of its terrorist character. U.S. And Israel especially should perceive it as a very dangerous threat. If Israel has been the victim of Hamas for many years, U.S. can become a target due to its involvement and support for Israel. On November 8, 2006, the military wing of Hamas appealed to the Muslim population all over the world to teach America a lesson for their involvement and siding with the enemy. Despite the fact that the declaration was not recognized by Hamas officials, it is clear that U.S. has one more terrorist enemy. However, so far the threat of Hamas has only been directed against Israel.

One of the most dangerous threats for regional security in the area resides in the violent fights between Hamas and Fatah, which even led to the separation of Palestine, as Hamas was controlling Gaza and Fatah the West Bank. Recent events in the area led to the dissolution of the Palestinian government in June 2007, as President Mahmoud Abbas has dismissed the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government.

Bibliography

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