ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the evolving meaning behind Hamas’s use of violence post-2006. Prior to the 2006 election, Hamas was not required to renounce its use of violence nor disband its armed wing. Hamas’s subsequent election victory legitimised it as a political actor in Palestinian politics, meaning that Hamas could no longer be classified as a non-state political actor. This changed irrevocably how Hamas’s use of violence should be classified because it takes place from inside the political system rather than outside the system. What then is the role of Hamas’s continued use of violence in the post-2006 election era, and how does it relate to Hamas’s political participation? This chapter aims to address these questions by providing an alternative explanation for the role of Hamas’s use of violence post-2006. The chapter highlights how, since 2006, Hamas uses violence to buttress its political authority in Gaza allowing it to remain a viable actor in Palestinian politics.
