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FACT BRIEF

Are most of the 2 million people in Gaza not members of Hamas?

By Tom Kertscher
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YES

In the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel, news organizations reported that Hamas members comprise about 30,000 of the 2 million people in the Gaza Strip.

Gaza is controlled by Hamas, a Palestinian group that is designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization. Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, attacked Israel, a U.S. ally, which in turn declared war.

Hamas said it has 40,000 fighters, while Israel said the force is about 30,000, according to The Associated Press.

Hamas' fighters number 30,000 to 40,000 fighters, Axios reported.

The CIA estimated the force at 20,000 to 25,000.

Palestinians have not voted for a legislature since 2006, nor a president since 2008, according to PBS.

In an Oct. 25 interview, Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, who represents the Madison area, said the vast majority of people in Gaza are not part of Hamas and that Israel should more carefully target its attacks.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
City Cast Madison Rep. Pocan on What the Mess in Congress Means for Us
US Central Intelligence Agency The World Factbook
US Department of State Foreign Terrorist Organizations
New York Times Here’s a timeline of Saturday’s attacks and Israel’s retaliation
US Department of State Major Non-NATO Ally Status
AP News Israel declares war, bombards Gaza and battles to dislodge Hamas fighters after surprise attack
AP News What is Hamas? The group that rules the Gaza Strip has fought several rounds of war with Israel
Axios What to know about Hamas' military capabilities
US Central Intelligence Agency Gaza Strip
PBS What is Hamas? What to know about its origins, leaders and funding
City Cast Madison Rep. Pocan on What the Mess in Congress Means for Us
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.