This Paper aims to study the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) as part of the Palestinian national movement (PNM). The analysis focuses on the ideology and thought of Hamas as an Islamist social movement, part of other movements of Political Islam, on the one hand, and as a nationalist and resistance movement on the other. A critical analysis of the relations between Hamas and Fatah will be very relevant in this context. Through its electoral victory in the 2006 parliamentary elections Hamas moved to the centre of the political discourse and of political developments in Palestine. At the same time, the relationship between Fatah and Hamas changed radically. The former ruling party did not accept the change of power in favour of Hamas. As a result, a deep political split developed, while at the same time the geographical separation between West Bank and Gaza transformed into a political separation, to fit neatly the policies of the colonial occupier. Therefore, new questions in the study of the PNM have been raised regarding nationalism and Islamism: the main question is whether Hamas is more of an Islamic movement or a nationalist one. This paper proposes to show how Hamas moved gradually to be like any other nationalist movement which builds not only on its ideology but also on political opportunities, while being controlled by changing constraints. ‘Hamas in power’ marked remarkable developments towards a more national movement, influenced by politics. The political program, discourse, and official speeches of the 10th Palestinian government formed exclusively by Hamas, focused mainly on civil issues facing Palestinian society rather than was the case with the dogmatic Islamist discourse of the 1980s. As a certain climax in this ongoing transformation, Hamas spokesperson in Gaza, Ismail Radwan, said on Aljazeera during the war on Gaza that “Hamas is a Palestinian national movement”. All these political developments require an in-depth study of Hamas’ discourse and thinking through discourse analysis based on Hamas-media, Hamas-publications, internal papers, as well as interviews. A comparison with other movements of Political Islam such as the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt and additional movements originating in the Muslim Brotherhood will be relevant in this context.