Hamas is not a country, but rather a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It was founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Hamas is committed to armed resistance against Israel and the creation of an Islamic Palestinian state in Israels place. Its charter calls for the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic society in historic Palestine. Hamas has been the de facto governing body in the Gaza Strip since 2007, when it ousted the Palestinian Authority from power. The US Government has designated Hamas a Foreign Terrorist Organization.