Formed by Abd al-Aziz Awda and Fathi Shaqaq as a splinter group of the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic Jihad was established in Egypt in 1979.
In 1981, two years after he courageously made peace with Israel, Anwar Sadat was assassinated by the Egyptian branch of Islamic Jihad. Egypt subsequently expelled Palestinian Islamic Jihad members to Gaza, leading to the formal founding of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), also known as the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine.
Considered a terrorist organization by dozens of countries around the world, PIJ’s leadership is based in Damascus, Syria, and provided with millions of dollars in training, weapons, and direct funding by the Iranian government.
PIJ is less involved in politics than other terror groups, and its sole objective is the destruction of the State of Israel as the means of establishing a sovereign, Islamic Palestinian state.
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PIJ’s main operations are concentrated in Gaza, and to a lesser extent the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Since 1987, it has carried out countless suicide bombings, bus hijackings, and shooting attacks against Israelis.
Unlike Hamas, it generally doesn’t provide any social or health services, and is not interested in diplomacy. Instead, it views violence against Israeli civilians and soldiers alike as the only option, and has launched thousands of rockets at Israel over the last two decades. PIJ has partnered with Hezbollah, another Iranian-funded terror organization, in carrying out joint operations.
Although PIJ works alongside Hamas, tensions exist as the organizations vie for support from the same population, and due to PIJ’s more extreme position regarding Israel. Whereas Hamas is pragmatic and willing to agree to occasional ceasefires, PIJ views such concessions as unconscionable.
Iran has exploited this rivalry to compel Hamas into complying with Iranian policy when tensions arise. By funding PIJ and shifting Hamas social services in 2013 to PIJ’s auspices, Tehran pressured Hamas to fall back in line with its policies.
Read more about Hamas and Gaza:
– Focus on Hamas: A Brutal Terror Organization
– The Hamas Charter: A Manifesto for Destroying Israel
– Hamas: 30 Facts For 30 Years
– Palestinian Poverty: Who Isn’t Sharing the Wealth?
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Featured Image
05 October 2019, Gaza City: Militants of Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement parade with weapons during a military show marking the 32nd anniversary of the organization’s founding. Photo: Mohammed Talatene/dpa (Photo by Mohammed Talatene/picture alliance via Getty Images)
