Fact: Islamic Jihad
The Palestinian movement Islamic Jihad was founded in 1981 and its armed branch the al-Quds Brigades was formed in 1992. The movement conducts armed struggle against the state of Israel.
It is seen as a sister organization to Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007. Both groups have their origins in the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.
Islamic Jihad is primarily based in the Gaza Strip but also has a strong presence in the occupied West Bank. Many of the group’s prominent leaders have had Damascus in Syria as their base.
The movement has close ties to Iran and has been labeled a terrorist by, among others, the United States and the EU.
Islamic Jihad has claimed several suicide attacks against Israel, especially during the so-called second intifada of 2000-2005.
The movement often coordinates its military actions with Hamas, such as during the 11-day war against Israel in May 2021. However, Hamas remained passive during the fighting between Israel and Islamic Jihad in 2019.
Source: TT-AFP
The Israeli military says that the top military leadership of the terrorist group Islamic Jihad has been “neutralized”.
The group confirms that an Israeli airstrike late Saturday killed its top commander Khaled Mansour.
The death comes a day after a senior Islamic Jihad commander, Taysir al-Jabari, was killed in Israel’s initial strike.
The death toll is rising
As the fighting between Israel and Islamic Jihad continues, the death toll rises. Israel has stated that it is preparing for a week-long operation.
About 30 people, including six children, have been killed in the past two days due to “Israeli aggression”, according to the health authorities in the Gaza Strip. Over 200 people have been injured.
However, Israeli authorities deny responsibility, saying the children were killed by a rocket fired by Islamic Jihad that took the wrong course.
Many arrested
At the same time, the Israeli military states that it has arrested 20 members of the terrorist-branded group.
Israel is justifying the attack as a “preemptive” operation against Islamic Jihad, insisting the group planned an imminent attack after days of tensions along the Gaza Strip border.
In response to the attacks, the rockets rain down on southern and central Israel. On Sunday, the sirens also sound in Jerusalem. AFP reporters say they heard two explosions. There is still no information about personal injuries, writes The Times Of Israel.
Concerns about another war
The attacks and counterattacks have raised fears of a repeat of the 11-day conflict in May 2021, which devastated parts of the Gaza Strip and forced scores of Israelis to take cover from rockets.
The Gaza Strip is controlled by the Palestinian terrorist movement Hamas. Around two million people live in the area.
Hamas and Israel have fought four wars and several minor skirmishes since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, including the conflict last May. In 2019, fighting flared up between Islamic Jihad and Israel. That time, Hamas chose not to get involved.