Ha ‧ mas /ˈhɑːmɑːs/ BrE AmE
an organization of Islamic ↑ fundamentalist s (=people who follow the rules of their religion very strictly) in Palestine. It opposes the PLO's peace agreements with Israel. In 2006 Hamas won more seats than more ↑ moderate Fatah party in the Palestinian parliamentary elections. In 2007 Hamas used force to take control of the Gaza Strip after Fatah refused to hand over control to the new government. The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Fatah) made an official order stating that the Hamas ↑ militia was illegal.