From Stones to Suicide Belts: Tracing Hamas's Evolution in Conflict

How did Hamas's military journey begin? In the initial stage, facing Israeli settlements in Gaza and the West Bank, the methods were primitive. 

Since its establishment in 1987, Hamas, through rebellious youths, confronted the Israeli army with stones, reminiscent of scenes during the uprising when stones stood against tanks and soldiers. In a later phase, aspects of Hamas's military wing started to emerge.

The confrontation shifted from stones to using knives, daggers, and swords in operations against Israeli settlers. 

After a while, the use of individual weapons, specifically the Swedish-made Carl Gustav submachine gun, became evident. 

This weapon resembled a pistol but was larger in size and could be reassembled by expanding the bullet channel to accommodate a larger round. Later, doors opened to other sources of weapons, which translated into Palestinians buying automatic rifles like the M16 from Israelis through Palestinian traders, without the Israelis realizing their intended use for resistance operations.

With the introduction of these weapons, qualitative operations increased significantly in the Gaza Strip, especially at Israeli checkpoints. With the Palestinian National Authority assuming self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza following the Oslo Accords in 1993, light weapons became plentiful, supported by sponsoring countries of the agreement. The movement purchased them as they became available in the market.

As the prospects of Oslo stalled, which saw limited implementation of its provisions, a new type of military operation emerged—suicide operations. We began witnessing militants using explosive belts to detonate themselves in Israeli groups, employing explosive materials like TNT.