Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades

Definition/Scope: The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades (variant spellings: (Ezzedine al-Qassam, Ezzedeen al-Qassam, Izzedine al-Qassam, Izzedine el Qassam)) are the armed wing of the Hamas radical Islamist militant group. The group is named after the Syrian-Palestinian Islamist Imam, Sheikh Izz ad-Din al-Qassam. The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades describes their mission as to: evoke the spirit of Jihad (resistance) amongst Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims; defend Palestinians and their land against the Zionist occupation and its aggression; liberate Palestinians and the land usurped by the Zionist occupation forces and settlers. The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Martyr Brigades have carried out numerous militant attacks, including some that are often attributed simply to "Hamas". As of April 2009 they were still designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the DoS.

Broader Terms:

foreign terrorist organization
HAMAS (Islamic Resistance Movement)
Islam

Narrower Terms:

insurgency
Jihad
terrorism

Related Terms:

Gaza Strip
Israel Defense Force
Muslim Brotherhood
Oslo Peace Accords
Palestine Liberation Organization
Palestinian Authority
West Bank