Middle East conflict: Violence, but no politics: That is Islamic Jihad

The conflict between the Gaza Strip does not come to rest.

Middle East conflict: Violence, but no politics: That is Islamic Jihad

The conflict between the Gaza Strip does not come to rest. A little over a year has passed since the last escalation of violence. Israel is now using airstrikes and raids against Palestinian extremists in the Gaza Strip as well as in the West Bank. This time, however, the main target is not the radical Islamist Hamas, but Islamic Jihad, a smaller but even more extreme terrorist organization.

The new wave of violence began with the arrest of two senior Islamic Jihad officials in a raid in the occupied West Bank on August 2. After that, Israel closed two border crossings to the Gaza Strip because of alleged concrete plans to attack Israeli civilians. The following Friday, the Israeli Air Force began attacks on the Gaza Strip, where Hamas has ruled since 2006.

According to the Israeli army, two leaders of Islamic Jihad were killed in this action, dubbed "Dawn", first the military chief Taisir al Jabari and then the southern commander, Khalid Mansur. Two other senior jihadists were also killed, including Mansur's deputy. "Over the past few days, Mansur has been preparing for an attack on Israel with an anti-tank missile and rockets," the Israeli military said in a statement. He is also responsible for terrorist attacks in the past.

At least 30 people were killed and more than 260 injured in the attacks, according to local authorities. In response to the airstrikes, Islamic Jihad fighters fired hundreds of rockets towards Israel. Israel, in turn, blames Islamic Jihad for the deaths of five children and one adult in the Jabalia refugee camp. According to the military, they were killed by a misguided jihadi missile.

Like many other Islamist terrorist groups fighting Israel, such as Hezbollah and Hamas, Islamic Jihad has close ties to Iran - Israel's arch-enemy. The name itself is more common in Islamist circles, but now it means Palestinian fighters. The group was founded in the early 1980s; it is estimated to have around 8,000 members. For comparison: Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip, is estimated to have up to 80,000 members, while Hamas from Lebanon has around 100,000.

Its goal is to create a strictly Islamic Palestine, which means nothing other than the dissolution of the State of Israel. Explicitly, this should not be implemented politically but with violence. The Al-Quds Brigades are the armed wing of Islamic Jihad. Numerous countries, including Germany and the USA, classify Islamic Jihad as a terrorist organization. Since the late 1980s, the fighters have carried out countless attacks. They are also supported in this by Hamas, which is both a competitor and an ally. Both in turn receive money, weapons and logistical help from Iran.

"Ninety percent of the military know-how of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad comes from there," the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" quoted a high-ranking Israeli officer as saying. The members of the organization are actually Sunnis, who are rather distant from the Shiites in Iran. But when it comes to arch-enemy Israel, the animosity between the two major denominations of Islam fades.

Despite the recent losses, the terrorist organization has no intention of changing course: "The fighters of Islamic Jihad are ready to continue the war," the organization said. The ceasefire agreed with Israel has held up so far.

Sources: DPA, AFP, "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung", Haaretz