Shortly before October 7, 2023, Magnus Ranstorp, one of the world's foremost experts on terrorism and violent extremism, travelled to Israel for a high-level conference on the region's security. Senior politicians gathered with representatives from the UN, EU, Mossad and the IDF. The focus was Hezbollah. Hamas was barely mentioned. Weeks later, that blind spot would have catastrophic consequences.

In this book, Ranstorp tells the gripping and deeply personal story of Hamas, from its founding in 1987 to the aftermath of October 7 attack. He traces how a movement rooted in the Muslim Brotherhood grew into a powerful political and military force in Gaza and the West Bank, responsible for decades of terrorism and violence that have claimed thousands of lives.

Drawing on decades of research and encounters with senior Hamas leaders, Ranstorp takes readers inside the organisation-its ideology, strategy, leadership and networks-and reveals how Hamas became one of the most consequential and controversial forces in the Middle East.