Understanding Hamas: part terrorism, part good works

Three things you should know before writing off Hamas as just a violent terrorist organisation

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Hamas is an internationally-designated terrorist organisation. Its attacks have killed more than 400 Israelis since 1993. It has claimed responsibility for more than 50 suicide attacks and has fired more than 2,000 rockets at civilian areas in Israel during this month's Operation Protective Edge alone.

The fact that these rockets have killed only two civilians so far during the current conflict does not excuse Hamas of the war crime of indiscriminately attacking non-combatants, something noted by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights this week.

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Venetia Rainey is a Middle East correspondent for TheWeek.co.uk based in Lebanon where she works for the national English-language paper, The Daily Star. Follow her on Twitter @venetiarainey.