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Developing a normative framework for evaluating non-state actors in the absence of formally binding obligations, this study is the first detailed human rights analysis of Hamas conduct and governance in the Gaza Strip.

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Introduction 1. Non-State Actors and International Human Rights Law: An Overview 2. The Rise of Hamas as a Non-State Actor Resembling a Government: Background and Operational Setting 3. Hamas and Human Rights Conclusion: Hamas Rule, Human Rights, and State-Like Institutions

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Tariq Mukhimer is a Human Rights Officer for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

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