When Hamas was elected to lead Palestine in 2006, it shocked the Western world, raising questions about Palestinian support for an extremist group and its impact on the Israel/Palestine conflict. Italian journalist Paola Caridi provides a clear-eyed account of the conditions that facilitated Hamas's rise and explores the complex sentiments among Palestinians regarding a government that endorses violent resistance. By moving beyond sensationalist narratives, Caridi presents a nuanced story of a movement balancing the desire to resist oppression with the need to support a refugee population. Drawing from years of on-the-ground research and interviews with Gaza residents and Hamas leaders, she chronicles Gaza's history from its golden age as a port city to Hamas's formal emergence and gradual militarization. This English-language translation includes a previously unseen chapter on Operation Cast Lead, WikiLeaks disclosures, and the Cairo Revolution. Caridi skillfully depicts a people ensnared in a historic political struggle, revealing the complexities of the controversy and shedding light on a key player in the ongoing quest for peace and justice in the Middle East.
