A Hollow Victory: Hamas's Exit from Gaza Governance For 20 years, Hamas has been the de facto ruler of Gaza, navigating internal divisions, international isolation, and relentless military conflict.
The trajectory of Hamas's rule began in 2006, when the group won a majority of seats in the Palestinian parliamentary elections.
However, this democratic mandate was swiftly followed by a severe Israeli economic and security blockade, which has had far reaching consequences for the population.