Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist political and militant organization founded in 1987 during the First Intifada. It has both a political wing, which participates in Palestinian governance (notably in the Gaza Strip), and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, which has carried out armed attacks against Israel. The group’s stated objectives include establishing an Islamic state in historical Palestine. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, including the United States, the European Union, and Israel, though some nations view it as a resistance movement.