Hamas Contained - (Stanford Studies in Middle Eastern and Islamic Societies and) by Tareq Baconi

Hamas Contained is a groundbreaking book that offers a comprehensive history of Hamas, challenging conventional assumptions about the organization and its role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Drawing on interviews with Hamas leaders and publications from the group, Tareq Baconi provides a nuanced understanding of Hamas's evolution from a fringe military resistance movement to a governance structure. The book sheds light on the complexities of Hamas's ideology and its implications for the Palestinian struggle, revealing how the movement's reliance on armed struggle has failed in the face of a relentless occupation designed to fragment the Palestinian people.

Baconi argues that under Israel's approach of managing rather than resolving the conflict, Hamas's demand for Palestinian sovereignty has been neutralized by its containment in Gaza, perpetuating a deadlock characterized by brutality and collective punishment of millions of Palestinian civilians. With a foreword by Rashid Khalidi, Avi Shlaim, and Marwan Muasher, Hamas Contained is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the Middle East politics today.

Baconi's judicious and impartial approach adds nuance to the portrait of one of the most divisive players in the region, making this book a must-read for scholars, policymakers, and general readers alike.