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Understanding Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Background, Leadership, and Objectives
Explore the origins and evolution of Palestinian Islamic Jihad. This article delves into its leadership structure, key objectives, and the broader implications of its actions within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Understanding Palestinian Islamic Jihad
The recent killing of a young commander of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s local branch in Tulkarm, a city in the West Bank, has brought renewed attention to the organization. Below, we delve deeper into its background and objectives.
What is Palestinian Islamic Jihad?
Officially known as the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, this group was established in the Gaza Strip during the 1980s with the primary goal of resisting Israeli occupation. Over the years, it has developed a significant presence in both Gaza and the West Bank, particularly in Tulkarm, which was originally founded as a refugee camp for Palestinians displaced by the conflicts surrounding the establishment of Israel. Like Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad is a Sunni Muslim organization, although it is considerably smaller in scale. Notably, both groups share a common funding source and ideological support from Shiite Muslim Iran, which underscores their united front against Israel. The United States, Israel, and the European Union classify both organizations as terrorist entities. Furthermore, the U.S. Counterterrorism Center has indicated that Palestinian Islamic Jihad has also received backing from Syria and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group. As of 2022, the U.S. State Department estimated the group’s membership to range from 1,000 to several thousand individuals.
Who leads the organization?
Ziyad al-Nakhalah has served as the head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s leadership council since 2018. Recently, he was residing in a guesthouse room adjacent to Ismail Haniyeh, a former senior leader of Hamas, at the time of Mr. Haniyeh’s assassination, which occurred earlier this month due to a bomb attack in Tehran.
What are its mission and philosophy?
According to insights from the Council on Foreign Relations, Palestinian Islamic Jihad is driven by the aspiration to reestablish a sovereign, Islamic Palestinian state. The organization perceives the Arab-Israeli conflict as an ideological battle rather than a mere territorial disagreement. Notably, Palestinian Islamic Jihad is opposed to the concept of a two-state solution, advocating instead for a unified Palestinian state under Islamic governance.