What's the difference between Hamas and Islamic Jihad?

Both are Islamist groups operating in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is the dominant force in the strip and has been in control since 2006. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has less support and is consiberably smaller with approximately 1000 fighters. read more

Hamas' recent soaring of relations with Iran and Islamic Jihad's rising funding by Iran is a notable difference. Oh nearly forgot, Hamas is the terrorist organization "governing" the Gaza Strip while the PIJ (Palestinian Islamic Jihad aka Islamic Jihad) is just a terrorist organization found in Gaza. read more

The Palestinians' two most radical groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have launched talks aimed at merging under one organization. This is, of course, bad news for moderate Palestinians who believe in the two-state solution and peace with Israel. read more

Hamas, meaning Islamic Resistance Movement, was founded in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and Mahmoud Zahar. It is a Palestinian political movement which is seen as a terrorist group by several countries due to the actions of its militant wing Izz ad-Din al-Qassam. read more