Israel accuses terrorist organization of shelling Gaza hospital: what is Islamic Jihad?

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Palestinian Islamic Jihad was founded in 1981 by a doctor named Fathi Shakaki († 44) in the Gaza Strip as a breakaway from Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. Shakaki and his fellow fighters were inspired by the Islamic Revolution in Iran. They set themselves the goal of fighting Israel with military means. Shakaki was murdered in Malta in 1995. Mossad agents were probably behind it. Ziyad al-Nakhalah (70) has been Secretary General of Islamic Jihad since 1998. Islamic Jihad is allied with Hamas. Due to the poor supply situation, which is partly attributed to the ruling Hamas, the group has become increasingly popular in recent years. The armed wing is the infamous Al-Quds Brigade.

‘Jihad’ means holy war. Islamic Jihad represents more radical positions than Hamas. The paramilitary group does not believe in a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians and aims to establish a Palestinian state that would include the West Bank and Gaza as well as the territory of the Israeli state. She categorically rejects peace talks with the Israelis. Islamic Jihad does not participate as a party in the political process like Hamas. Most members are Sunni Muslims. The group is considered a terrorist organization in the US, Israel, the EU, Britain, Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Like Hamas, Islamic Jihad also has ties to Iran and the Shia Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. The organization is funded by Tehran and Arab states such as Egypt, Qatar and Syria. Turkey is also said to support Islamic Jihad. Iran also supplies the group with weapons.

Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for numerous actions over time, including more than thirty suicide bombings. The group has also been linked to Hezbollah’s attack on the US embassy in Beirut in 1983. The CIA’s Middle East headquarters were also housed there. At least fourteen people were killed in an attack on a bus on the highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in July 1989. In February 1992, fighters from the group attacked three sleeping Israeli soldiers and killed them with knives, axes and pitchforks. A double attack in April 1995 killed a total of twenty people in Netzarim and Kfar Darom. In March 2014, Islamic Jihad, in coordination with Hamas, fired more than 100 rockets into southern Israel. Islamic Jihad was also involved in the attack in Israel on October 7, which left more than 1,300 dead.

Source: Blick