Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades (abbreviated as IQB; Arabic: كتائب الشهيد عز الدين القسام, romanized: Katāib al-Shahīd 'izz ad-Dīn al-Qassām , lit. 'Battalions of martyr Izz ad-Din al-Qassam'; often shortened to Al-Qassam Brigades), named after Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, is the military wing of the Palestinian organization Hamas. Currently led by Mohammed Deif, IQB is the largest and best-equipped militant group operating within Gaza today.
| Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades كتائب الشهيد عز الدين القسام | |
|---|---|
Banner used by Al-Qassam brigades | |
| Leaders | Mohammed Deif |
| Spokesman | Abu Obaida |
| Dates of operation | 1991–present |
| Headquarters | Gaza Strip |
| Active regions | Palestine Israel Lebanon |
| Ideology | Palestinian self-determination Sunni Islamism Islamic fundamentalism Palestinian nationalism |
| Notable attacks | Mehola Junction bombing, Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing, Matza restaurant suicide bombing, Patt Junction bus bombing, Kiryat Menachem bus bombing, Operation Al-Aqsa Deluge |
| Status | Active |
| Size | 15,000–40,000 |
| Part of | Hamas |
| Allies | |
| Opponents | |
| Battles and wars | Israeli–Palestinian conflict |
| Designated as a terrorist group by | IQB specifically:
Hamas as a whole: |
| Website | www |
Created in mid-1991, it was at the time concerned with blocking the Oslo Accords negotiations. From 1994 to 2000, the Al-Qassam Brigades has claimed responsibility for carrying out a number of attacks against Israelis.
At the beginning of the Second Intifada, the group became a central target of Israel. The Al-Qassam Brigades operated several cells in the West Bank. Most of them were destroyed by 2004, following numerous operations of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in the region. In contrast, Hamas retained a forceful presence in the Gaza Strip, generally considered its stronghold. Yahya Sinwar, Hamas political leader in the Gaza Strip since February 2017, is a military leader in the Brigades in Gaza.
The Al-Qassam Brigades are explicitly listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, and the United Kingdom. Though not explicitly mentioning IQB, the United States and Canada have designated its parent entity, Hamas, as a terrorist organization; Brigade leader Mohammed Deif is classified as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US under Executive Order 13224. As the Brigades undertake military activity on behalf of Hamas, "organized terrorist activities associated with Hamas can be reliably attributed to the Brigades."