Constructing Tawfan al-Aqsa : A Constructivist Analysis of the Framing and Construction of Identity, Norms, and Interests in Hamas’s Foreign Public Discourse (2023–2025)

Sammanfattning

On the morning of October 7, 2023, Hamas launched Operation al-Aqsa Flood, a large-scale military attack on Israel. This prompted a significant Israeli military response, and the start fo the longest war in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a fact. Shortly after the attack, Hamas spoken statements, by the spokesman of the Qassam Brigades, Abu Obaida, and another by the Head of the Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh. These statements marked the start of Hamas’s foreign public discourse during the ongoing Gaza war. This thesis uses framing analysis and identity-construction analysis to examine eight Hamas speeches delivered between October 16, 2023, and the first prolonged ceasefire in January 2025. It explores how Hamas utilized discourse to construct identities and frame norms and interests during the war. Drawing on constructivist theory in International Relations and on theories of strategic identity construction and norm entrepreneurship, the analysis found that Hamas engaged in highly polarized discourse, constructing Israel as the “Other” while also appealing to universal and international law norms. It also employed a notable degree of religious language, including Qur’anic references and intertextual meanings where the war between Israel and Hamas is placed within a scriptural narrative. The thesis hence argues that Hamas acted as a norm entrepreneur, appealing to universal norms to gain greater international legitimacy and esteem among potential allies, while simultaneously maintaining religious elements to preserve legitimacy among its base.