The founding of Hamas
Hamas was founded in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Gaza Strip during the first Intifada. Its goal was to create an Islamic state in historic Palestine, leading it to oppose the secular Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Israeli support for Hamas
The claim that Israel created Hamas is more nuanced. While Mossad did not create the group, Israel did support Hamas's early growth as a counterweight to the more powerful and secular PLO.