As of 2005 Hamas also became a serious part of the political landscape, and in 2006 they were the first ever Islamist power in the Arab world to gain power democratically. I think that in itself speaks tomes about how Hamas is viewed by the normal folk in Palestine. They do not consider them terrorists, they consider them protectors.

Hamas won the election with a landslide, sparking clashes between Hamas and the previous ruling Palestinian party — Fatah. Hamas rejected all previous agreements with Israel. Their mantra was, and is, the reclaiming of the entirety of Palestine for Palestinians. After a series of clashes with Fatah, Hamas set up a rival and independent government.

Rockets from Gaza and air attacks from Israel steadily increased over time. Israel attributes all rocket attacks to Hamas and has carried out three major attacks on Gaza to flush them out over the last 6 years. From 2008-2014 Hamas has regained popularity in Gaza and the West Bank because they’ve managed to take on Israel and despite being kicked silly repeatedly are still functioning and still fighting.

Hamas have become increasingly isolated in their tiny enclave of land. The blockade on Gaza by Israel and Egypt, followed by the overthrow of a trusted ally, Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi, has hit them hard.