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The Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Spotlight on Terrorism – November 2025

During November 2025 the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip remained in force, bringing a halt to Houthi attacks as well. Counterterrorism activity in Judea and Samaria continued. The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah remained in force, despite IDF attacks on Hezbollah targets; The Gaza Strip: The ceasefire that went into effect on October 10, 2025, continued. IDF forces attacked suspicious Gazans who crossed the Yellow Line and eliminated terrorist operatives in response to ceasefire violations. The bodies of nine murdered hostages were returned to Israel, while the body of one murdered hostage remained in the Gaza Strip. No rockets were fired at Israeli territory; Israel, Judea and Samaria: There was one terrorist attack in which an Israeli civilian was killed. Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism activity throughout Judea and Samaria and launched a new large-scale operation in northern Samaria. Wanted suspects and terrorist operatives planning attacks were eliminated, and weapons were located. A terrorist network was exposed which transferred weapons under the direction of an Arab-Israeli Hamas operative operating from Turkey; Lebanon: The IDF continued attacks on Hezbollah's attempts to violate the ceasefire which went into effect on November 27, 2024, and on the organization's efforts to reconstruct itself and replenish its arsenal. More than 20 Hezbollah operatives were eliminated, including a military commander and several of his aides in an attack in Beirut, and military facilities were attacked in south Lebanon and the Beqa'a Valley. Thirteen Hamas terrorist operatives were eliminated in an attack on the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp; Syria: IDF forces continued to operate in southern Syria; six IDF soldiers were wounded in exchanges of fire during an operation to detain wanted al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya terrorist operatives; The Houthis: The Houthis have not attacked Israel or ships since the start of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip; Terrorism abroad: Iranian attempts to assassinate Israel's ambassador to Mexico and attack Israeli targets in Africa were foiled. A Hamas terrorist network in central Europe was exposed, involving the son of a senior Hamas figure.a
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The Gaza Strip Following the Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab

On December 4, 2025, the death of Yasser Abu Shabab was reported. He headed the Popular Forces, a militia in Rafah which receives Israeli support and is considered Hamas' most prominent rival in the Gaza Strip. According to the militia, he was killed while trying to resolve a family dispute and it denied Hamas' claim of responsibility for the elimination of Abu Shabab, the most senior wanted operative in the Strip; Abu Shabab's deputy, Ghassan al-Dahini, was appointed the militia's new commander and said they would continue the campaign against Hamas. Leaders of other militias in the Strip that had cooperated with Abu Shabab also said they were committed to continuing in his path; In areas of the Strip under Hamas control, Abu Shabab's death was celebrated with the distribution of pastry and candy. Hamas and the "resistance factions" claimed his death would be the fate of every "collaborator with the occupation." Hamas' ministry of the interior announced that it was granting all "collaborators" a ten-day period for "repentance" to turn themselves in; In ITIC assessment, Abu Shabab's death will encourage Hamas to consolidate its security governance in the Gaza Strip, and may affect the motivation of some operatives of the Popular Forces and other militias opposed to Hamas. However, the genuine fear of Hamas revenge and the execution of anyone who turns himself in, despite Hamas' promises of "leniency," is expected to deter many operatives from surrendering to the "resistance." In ITIC assessment, the militias will continue to operate as long as Israel controls the area of the Yellow Line and provides them with room to maneuver, and as long as there is a chance that international pressure will force Hamas to disarm, even though Hamas will seek to disrupt the militias' activity and attack their operatives, especially militia leaders.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (November 25 – December 2, 2025)

IDF forces continued operating within the area of the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip to destroy tunnels and terrorist infrastructure, and eliminated operatives who posed a threat. The forces eliminated and detained Hamas terrorists who tried to flee from the tunnels in Rafah, and among the dead were reportedly the son of a senior Hamas figure and a battalion commander; Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) returned the body of an Israeli civilian who was murdered and abducted in the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre. Two bodies of murdered hostages remain in the Gaza Strip; Hamas claimed that it continued to give negotiations a chance despite the Israeli "violations," even after the Hamas delegation ended the fruitless talks with the mediators in Cairo regarding the implementation of the second stage of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip; Hamas continues security and civil governance in the areas under its control in the Gaza Strip. The Shifa Hospital, which was a center of activity for the Hamas military wing, reopened departments, and studies resumed at the Islamic University in Gaza, one of Hamas' strongholds in the Strip; Hamas is reportedly considering the proposal to become a political party and join the PLO. The movement denied a report that all leadership and command positions had been filled after the elimination of senior officials during the war; This past week there were two terrorist attacks in which three IDF soldiers were injured. Israeli security forces launched a broad counterterrorism operation in northern Samaria, focusing on the Jenin and Tubas areas.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (November 18-25, 2025)

IDF forces continued operating in areas within the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip to destroy tunnels and terrorist facilities, and eliminated terrorist operatives who posed a threat to the forces and those hiding in tunnels in Rafah. Following Hamas violations of the ceasefire agreement, senior operatives in Hamas' military wing were eliminated; Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) continued searching for the bodies of the three murdered hostages still in the Gaza Strip. A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for talks about [alleged] Israeli "violations" and to discuss the second stage of the ceasefire agreement; The Gaza Humanitarian Aid Foundation announced the termination of its activity after more than four months; A former officer in the Palestinian Authority security forces announced the establishment of a new militia in Khan Yunis which opposes Hamas, while Hamas continues to implement security and civilian governance in the areas under its control in Gaza; The European Union announced that it would assist in training thousands of Palestinian police officers in preparation for their deployment in the Gaza Strip; An Israeli civilian was killed in a combined vehicular ramming and stabbing attack at the Gush Etzion Junction; the two terrorists who carried out the attack were shot and killed. Israeli security forces continued counterterrorism activity in Judea and Samaria, eliminating two terrorists who killed a civilian and IDF soldiers and a terrorist who served in the Palestinian police; three others were detained; The Palestinian Authority prime minister said implementing the required reforms was expected to last about two and a half years, but most would be completed in the coming year. An investigation revealed that the Palestinian Authority continues paying the families of prisoners and terrorists who had been killed despite its public commitment to stop.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (November 11-18, 2025)

IDF forces continued operating within the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip to destroy tunnels and terrorist facilities, and eliminated terrorists who posed a threat. According to claims, in the month since beginning of the ceasefire, IDF forces destroyed more than 1,500 structures in the Gaza Strip; Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad returned the body of an Israeli civilian who had been murdered and kidnapped in the October 7, 2023 attack. The bodies of three murdered hostages remain in the Gaza Strip; Hamas continued to advance its civil and security governance in the Strip; Israel opened the Zikim Crossing for the entry of aid trucks, while the American Coordination Center reported that the daily average number of aid trucks had increased from 600 to 800 and that more than 40 countries and organizations were participating in the aid activity. Hamas and its media exploited the rain in the Gaza Strip to promote a "Gaza is sinking" narrative, while blaming Israel for the situation and calling on the international community to send assistance to the Strip; The UN Security Council passed a resolution adopting the American plan for a ceasefire and the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip. Hamas condemned the resolution and warned that any international force operating in the Strip would be considered fighting alongside "the occupation." The Palestinian Authority (PA) welcomed the resolution and continued preparations to reassume responsibility for the Strip; The organizers of the Global Sunud (Perseverance) Flotilla, prevented from reaching the Gaza Strip by Israel in early October 2025, announced that they would dispatch a larger flotilla to the Gaza Strip in the coming months; Israeli security forces continued extensive activity in Judea and Samaria, eliminating terrorists and terrorist cells attempting to attack security personnel and civilians. Clashes continued between Jewish settlers and Palestinian residents during the olive harvest season; The chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, announced that a delegation would arrive for talks at UNESCO for adapting the Palestinian curricula to international standards while preserving "the core of the Palestinian national consciousness."
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (November 1-11, 2025)

IDF forces operated within Yellow Line areas in the Gaza Strip to destroy tunnels and terrorist facilities, eliminated terrorists who posed a threat, and prevented Hamas from smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip through the Egyptian border. Hamas accused Israel of "violations" and of having killed more than 270 Gazans since the start of the ceasefire; Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad returned the bodies of six murdered Israeli hostages who had been held since October 7, 2023, along with the body of an IDF soldier who was abducted during Operation Protective Edge in August 2014. The bodies of four murdered Israeli hostages remain in the Gaza Strip. The mediators are trying to resolve the crisis of the armed Hamas terrorist operatives trapped in tunnels in Rafah in areas under Israeli control; Food and humanitarian aid continue to enter the Gaza Strip, while Hamas continues to strengthen its security and civilian control over the local population; The Palestinian Authority (PA) and Fatah called on Hamas to agree to disarm and to allow a PA government minister to be appointed as head of the committee administering the Gaza Strip. A senior Hamas figure unconditionally opposed the deployment of any foreign military force in the Strip; Security and law enforcement authorities in Austria found a suitcase containing weapons suspected of being intended for Hamas terrorist attacks. According to reports, the son of a senior Hamas figure was arrested in London on suspicion of involvement in the case; Israeli security forces continued widespread operations in Judea and Samaria and eliminated terrorists who attacked the forces and carried out attacks; The Saudi Arabian crown prince sent a letter to PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas in support of the Palestinian people and their aspiration to establish an independent state.
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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.