The surprise attack on Israel by Hamas over the weekend has brought the militant group back into the spotlight. In the attack, Hamas fighters flew paragliders from Gaza and used bulldozers to poke gaping holes in a barrier fence to gain access to Israeli territory. They killed more than 1,000 people and seized at least 100 hostages.
Hamas' attack was unprecedented. A senior Hamas official tells NPR that its planning was kept a close secret. Since Hamas' formation more than three decades ago, the armed, hard-line Islamist group has been a major presence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Here are some key points:
