1. Home
  2. Terrorist Organizations
  3. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad

News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (October 20-26, 2021)

Judea and Samaria: During the past two weeks Palestinians frequently clashed with the Israeli security forces at the Damascus Gate in east Jerusalem. The Gaza Strip: Relative quiet continues. Israel announced that beginning on October 21, 2021, it would issue 3,000 additional permits for Gazan businessmen to enter Israeli territory. The Palestinian Authority (PA): After legally authorized joint activities of the Israeli security forces, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz signed an order designating as terrorist organizations six civilian social organizations affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The Palestinian prisoners end hunger strike: On October 22, 2021, after nine days, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) prisoners in Israeli jails ended their hunger strike.
Read more...

News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (September 1 – 12, 2021)

Four of the six terrorist convicts from Samaria who escaped from Israel's Gilboa prison were captured. Many Palestinians expressed sorrow they had been caught but continued to praise them for escaping. Judea and Samaria: On Friday September 10, 2021, there was a stabbing attack at the entrance to al-Aqsa mosque. It was carried out by an alternative medicine Palestinian doctor from Shuafat in east Jerusalem; he was shot and killed. The attack was carried out after Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad declared Friday a "day or rage" in solidarity with the prisoners in Israeli jails.
Read more...

Palestinian reactions to the escape of six terrorists from Israel’s maximum security Gilboa prison

Before dawn on September 6, 2021, six Palestinian terrorists from Samaria broke out of the Gilboa prison in northern Israel through a tunnel they had been digging for approximately half a year. As soon as news of the jailbreak was received the Palestinian media instructed the public to defend and protect the fugitives, and appealed to the Palestinian security forces not to assist Israel in finding them.
Read more...

News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (August 25-31, 2021)

The Gaza Strip: On August 21, 2021, Hamas renewed its efforts to increase tensions along the Israel-Gaza Strip border with premeditated clashes and riots. Despite the night harassment unit activities, Israel announced the implementation of additional measures to ease conditions in the Gaza Strip, including, for the first time since Operation Guardian of the Walls, the delivery of construction materials. Judea and Samaria: Palestinians continue throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at Israeli vehicles driving on the roads. The Palestinian Authority (PA): Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz met in Ramallah with Mahmoud Abbas to discuss political, security, civilian and economic issues. Coronavirus: Coronavirus cases continue to rise in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, doubling over the past week.
Read more...

News of Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (August 18-24, 2021)

The Gaza Strip: After the violence at the Gaza Strip border on August 21, 2021, Hamas and the other terrorist organizations threatened they would continue exerting pressure on Israel to ease the "siege" of the Gaza Strip. Judea and Samaria: A young Palestinian tried to stab a security guard at the Jalameh Crossing in Samaria and was detained. This past week the Israeli security forces prevented terrorist attacks and confiscated weapons. The Palestinian Authority (PA): This past week Mahmoud Abbas and other members of the Palestinian leadership met with Abbas Kamel, head of Egyptian General Intelligence, and with the Japanese foreign minister.
Read more...

Violence Along the Gaza Strip Border

On Saturday, August 21, 2021, Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip carried out their threat to increase tension along the border with Israel and hold riots near the border security fence. It was in spite of the announcement an arrangement had been found to deliver the money from Qatar to needy families in the Gaza Strip, and despite Israel's announcement of additional measures to ease conditions for Gazan civilians
Read more...

Previous years bulletins

202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020082007200620052004

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad is the second largest and most important terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. It was established in the Gaza Strip in the late 1970s by students studying in Egypt, members of the Muslim Brotherhood, and headed by Dr. Fathi Shqaqi, a physician from Rafah, and Sheikh Abd al-Aziz Awda, a preacher from the Jebaliya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.

Inspired by the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad has a radical fundamentalist Sunni Muslim ideology. It seeks the immediate “liberation” of Palestine through jihad (holy war) and the establishment of a Muslim Palestinian state. Fathi Shqaqi was eliminated in Malta in 1995, and was succeeded by Dr. Ramadan Shalah, who is also one of the organization’s founding members.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad rejects any arrangement or agreement with Israel. According to its ideology, jihad is an obligation that should be implemented immediately rather than be postponed until after the establishment of an Islamic state. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad has a military arm, Quds Brigades, equipped with various weapons, which fires rockets from the Gaza Strip and instigates carrying out terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria. During the Second Intifada, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad “specialized” in carrying out suicide bombing attacks in Israeli territory.

Of all Palestinian terrorist organizations, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad is the closest to Iran and more than any other organization, it receives extensive support from Iran.

Like other terrorist organizations, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad has been designated as a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States.