Hamas: Who are the group's key leaders after the killing of Ismail Haniyeh?
Born out of the first uprising or 'Intifada' against Israel's occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, the Palestinian movement Hamas claims it's a freedom-fighting group trying to free Palestinians from Israeli subjugation.
The group, which was founded in December 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Palestinian cleric who later became an activist, defines itself as a "Palestinian Islamic national liberation and resistance movement," using Islam as its frame of reference.
Originating as an offshoot of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas established its military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, to pursue the armed struggle against Israel with the aim of liberating historic Palestine.
But in 2017, the movement announced in its revised charter that it accepted the idea of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, without recognising the statehood of Israel.
In recent years, many of the group's high-ranking men have a kept a low public profile in Gaza, evading assassination attempts by Israel, whilst others affilated with the movement have opted to live in exile - mostly in Qatar, but also in Iran, Lebanon and Turkey.
Generally those residing in Gaza are belived to be more involved in military operations against Israel, whilst the political leadership is based abroad.
But who are Hamas' most prominent figures running the group in what has become the enclave's deadliest-ever war?
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