Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine
حركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين
Also known asPalestinian Islamic Jihad
FounderAbd Al Aziz Awda
Fathi Shaqaqi
LeaderFathi Shaqaqi (1981–1995) X
Ramadan Shalah (1995–2018)
Ziyad al-Nakhalah (2018–present)
Dates of operationOctober 1981 – present
Split fromEgyptian Islamic Jihad
CountryPalestine
Active regionsGaza Strip and Lebanon
Ideology
Size8,000 (2011)
Part ofPalestinian Joint Operations Room
Alliance of Palestinian Forces
Axis of Resistance
AlliesState allies:
 Iran
Syria (until 2024)
Non-state allies:
 Hezbollah
 Hamas
 PFLP
 DFLP
Opponents Israel
 Palestinian Authority
 Syria
Designated as a terrorist group by Australia
 Canada
 European Union
 Israel
 New Zealand
 United Kingdom
 United States

The Islamic Jihad's Movement in Palestine (Arabic: حركة الجهاد الإسلامي في فلسطين, Harakat al-Jihād al-Islāmi fi Filastīn), simply known as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamist organization. It was formed in 1981.

PIJ is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. They reject the Oslo Accords. Their goal is to help create an independent Islamic Palestinian state. It supports the military destruction of Israel and rejects a two-state solution. They have been supported by Syria and Hezbollah. Their power began to grow faster in 2014 as Iran's support grew.

History and background

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) was officially founded in Gaza in 1981 by Fathi Shaqaqi, a doctor from Rafah, and Shaykh Abd al-Aziz Awda, a preacher from the Jabaliyya refugee camp, along with Ramadan Shalah, Bashir Moussa, and three other activists. Shaqaqi and Awda had been part of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt but broke away in 1979 to form the Islamic Jihad-Shaqaqi Faction, which operated from Egypt. After the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1981 by a related group, they were expelled from Egypt and returned to Gaza, where they officially launched PIJ. PIJ's goal is to create an Islamic Palestinian state in the area that was Mandatory Palestine before 1948.

Notes

  1. ↑ Ba'athist Syria lost its territory and was dissolved in December 2024

References

  1. ↑ Skare, Erik (2021). A history of Palestinian Islamic Jihad : faith, awareness, and revolution in the Middle East. Cambridge, United Kingdom. pp. 39–43. ISBN 978-1-108-95444-0. OCLC 1196822773.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ↑ Ben Gedalyahu, Ben (7 November 2011). "Iran Backs Islamic Jihad's 8,000-Man Army in Gaza". Israel National News. Arutz Sheva. Archived from the original on 8 November 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  3. 1 2 "IRAN UPDATE, OCTOBER 30, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  4. ↑ Rudoren, Jodi (3 May 2014). "Islamic Jihad Gains New Traction in Gaza". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "Syria detains two leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad". Reuters. April 22, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Syria Interim Authorities Reportedly Arrest 2 Leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad". Foundation for Defense of Democracies. April 22, 2025. Archived from the original on April 24, 2025.
  7. ↑ BBC Archived 27 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine Who are Islamic Jihad? 9 June 2003
  8. ↑ "THE TERRORIST CONNECTION - IRAN, THE ISLAMIC JIHAD AND HAMAS". fas.org. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  9. ↑ "Australian Government Attorneys General's Department - Palestinian Islamic Jihad". 20 August 2006. Archived from the original on 20 August 2006. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "The Gaza Strip: Who's in charge?". The Economist. 29 March 2014. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  11. ↑ STATEMENT OF CASE TO DESIGNATE PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD (PIJ) AS A TERRORIST ENTITY Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, New Zealand, October 2000
  12. ↑ Marlowe, Lara (6 February 1995). "Interview with a Fanatic". Time. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  13. ↑ "Sadat as a president of Egypt". News Egypt. 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  14. ↑ Quintan Wiktorowicz (2004). Islamic Activism: A Social Movement Theory Approach. Indiana University Press. p. 122. ISBN 978-0-253-21621-2. Archived from the original on 5 January 2014.