Hamas’ founding charter, which was published in 1988, defines Hamas “as a universal Islamic movement and one of the branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine.” Consequently, Hamas has been tied to the Brotherhood for the past 29 years.
In its new Document of General Principles and Policies announced May 1 from Doha, Qatar, many articles that were included initially and that mentioned the Muslim Brotherhood were removed, indicating a divorce between Hamas and the group.