Palestinians have been governed by two separate administrations in the West Bank and Gaza since 2007, and have been living under Israeli occupation since 1967. 

While Palestinians seek sovereign statehood, the means used by different groups are not always in line with each other. So who represents Palestine? The answer is complex.

HAMAS

Hamas, or the Islamic Resistance Movement, has governed Gaza since 2007 when it ousted political rival Fatah in a brief civil war.  

Hamas is a Sunni Islamist political party and paramilitary organization considered by the U.S. and Israel to be a terrorist group. 

Hamas provides social services in some Palestinian communities and has received support from Iran.

Formed during the first Palestinian uprising in 1987, Hamas wants an independent Palestinian state based on the land Palestinians held in 1967, before Israel captured it the Six Day Israeli-Arab War. 

Hamas does not recognize Israel’s statehood. 

The current head of Hamas is Ismail Haniyeh, based out of Doha, Qatar.

PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD (PIJ)

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is the second-largest armed militant group in Palestine. An offshoot of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood founded in 1981, PIJ was intended to combat Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. The group is still focused on armed confrontations.

Supported by Iran, PIJ is considered by the U.S. and Israel to be a terrorist organization.

FATAH

Fatah was formed in Kuwait in the 1950s in response to the UN vote to partition the British mandate of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state and the subsequent Israeli-Arab war. 

Known as the Nakba (Catastrophe) to Palestinians and the War of Independence to Israelis, the war resulted in the permanent displacement of the majority of Palestinians.

Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas were key Fatah activists and founders. The group took up arms to liberate Palestine from Israel in 1965. 

Fatah joined the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1968 and is the largest faction in the organization. 

In the last election of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in 2006, Fatah lost its majority to Hamas.

PALESTINIAN LIBERATION ORGANIZATION (PLO)

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is a blanket organization that represents multiple Arab groups concerned with helping Palestine become a state. 

Established in 1964, the PLO has previously used armed resistance against Israel, but in the 1990s, led by Fatah, the group renounced force and signed the Oslo Accords, which established the Palestinian Authority.

The PLO is recognized by the UN General Assembly and the Arab League as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. 

The PLO has observer status at all UN meetings and has endorsed a two-state solution, recognizing the state of Israel.

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (PA)

The Palestinian Authority (PA) was established by the Oslo Accords in 1994 as what was supposed to be a temporary governing body for Gaza and parts of the West Bank until a two-state solution was reached between Israel and Palestine by 1999 -- which never occurred.

The legislature of the PA is the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and members are elected by residents in 16 districts the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. 

Two legislative elections have been held so far, Fatah won a PLC majority in 1996, and Hamas won a majority in 2006. 

The PLC was suspended in 2007 after the Hamas takeover of the Gaza strip.

Current PA President Mahmoud Abbas succeeded Yasser Arafat after his death in in 2004, and has governed by presidential decree since 2009 after the PLC suspension. 

Abbas is also Chairman of the PLO and the Chairman of Fatah.

The PA was pushed out of Gaza due to a split between Abbas and Hamas, since then, the PA governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

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