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The Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (February 10-17, 2026)

IDF forces continued operating within the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip to locate and destroy weapons and terrorist facilities. They eliminated terrorist operatives from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in response to a violation of the ceasefire agreement after the terrorists emerged from a tunnel in an area under IDF control in the northern Gaza Strip; Doctors Without Borders announced it had suspended its activities at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis due to the takeover of the hospital by "armed men"; Members of the technocrat committee for administering the Gaza Strip called for the full authority required to carry out their duties, amid concern that Hamas was attempting to impose its presence on the committee's work by integrating its personnel into the new security forces; As the Muslim religious month of Ramadan approaches, Hamas government employees in the Gaza Strip have been protesting the delay in the payment of their salaries; Hamas figures met in Qatar with the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and expressed solidarity with Tehran. The spokesperson of Hamas' military wing warned that any attack on Iran would be considered an attack on the Islamic nation; A Hamas delegation met with the commissioner of the Peace Council to discuss implementing the second phase of the ceasefire agreement. Hamas said no official decision had been made to freeze the use of weapons and added that any foreign force entering the Gaza Strip had to operate solely to maintain peace and to separate the population from Israel; Turkey is expanding its involvement in the Gaza Strip by constructing mosques and schools; Palestinians condemned the Israeli government's designation of land in Judea and Samaria as state lands; The prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA) said the past year had marked international diplomatic momentum in favor of the Palestinians.
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Spotlight on Terrorism: Hezbollah and Lebanon (February 9-16, 2026)

In south Lebanon the IDF continued attacking Hezbollah targets and eliminated two of the organization's terrorist operatives, part of enforcing the ceasefire agreement from November 2024 and preventing Hezbollah's renewed military-terrorist build-up. Several terrorist operatives from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) were eliminated in the Beqa'a Valley near the border with Syria; Hezbollah continued criticizing the Lebanese regime because of the ongoing Israeli attacks and the plan to disarm the organization. The organization's secretary general, Na'im Qassem, called on the government not to yield to Western pressure and to rely on the capabilities of the "resistance."; Lebanon's prime minister and army commander held meetings with foreign officials in preparation for the international conference to support the Lebanese security forces which will be held in Paris in early March 2026; The commander of the United States Central Command praised the Lebanese army for exposing another giant Hezbollah tunnel in south Lebanon; Hezbollah launched its campaign for the general parliamentary elections to be held this coming spring and agreed with the Amal Movement on full coordination; Hezbollah's secretary general announced that the organization would pay rent for three months for anyone whose house was damaged in the fighting with Israel, however residents in Shi'ite areas protested there was no long-term commitment and raised claims of unequal distribution of payments; The United States Treasury imposed sanctions on a Lebanese company converting Hezbollah's gold reserves into liquid assets for the organization's reconstruction.
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Spotlight on Terrorism and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (February 3-10, 2026)

The IDF continued its activity within the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip, locating and destroying terrorist facilities and weapons, some of which were concealed in UNRWA sacks, and eliminating terrorists who attempted to attack the forces. In response to ceasefire violations, during which an IDF officer was seriously wounded, terrorist targets in the Strip were attacked and terrorist commanders and operatives were eliminated; The Rafah Crossing was reopened in both directions for civilians and patients; The spokesperson for the Hamas military wing threatened Gazans collaborating with Israel, while Hamas continued to exercise civilian and security governance in areas under its control, as the entry of members of the Palestinian technocratic committee into the Strip has been delayed; Hamas leader "abroad" Khaled Mashal rejected the demand to disarm the "resistance" and reiterated the proposal for a hudna (extended ceasefire) of five to ten years; Pro-Palestinian activists announced their intention to launch a flotilla of 100 vessels at the end of March 2026 to "break the siege" of the Gaza Strip; The Palestinian Authority ministry of education denied claims it had made substantial changes to the curriculum dealing with the core of the Palestinian narrative, rather claiming was adapting the education system to UNESCO standards as part of reforms.
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Threats by Axis of Resistance Organizations amid Tensions between the United States and Iran

Amid the wave of protests in Iran and the exchange of threats between Iran, the United States, and Israel, members of the Axis of Resistance issued statements and threats of their own. Reports also indicate that some are preparing for a possible confrontation. The scope and intensity of their responses will depend, among other factors, on the nature of any US attack and the targets struck. However, the considerations guiding the Axis members are not uniform.
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Hamas Criticism of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Revealed in Seized Documents from the Gaza Strip

The military wings of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) have cooperated closely in wars and rounds of fighting against Israel, including during the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre and the subsequent war in the Gaza Strip, and together they operated a joint operations room with the other terrorist organizations in the Strip; Despite the cooperation, in several instances the two movements have disagreed, mainly due to PIJ's independent rocket fire, which led to short rounds of fighting against Israel, contrary to the "controlled escalation" policy which Hamas tried to promote while making secret preparations for the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre. Hamas documents brought back by the IDF from the Gaza Strip indicated that Hamas was displeased by the PIJ's independent conduct; The documents also confirmed that many of the rockets fired at Israel by the PIJ fell inside the Gaza Strip, killing civilians and causing damage, which was also a serious problem for Hamas; In an attempt to reduce the PIJ's "rogue" actions, Hamas tried to impose its will on the PIJ and even subjugate the organization to its direct control. The documents included information regarding problems the PIJ caused the "resistance," including immoral behavior and intelligence infiltration, and measures to ensure that the PIJ would act in accordance with Hamas' interests at the political and military levels. The documents reveal a pragmatic and interest-based relationship between Hamas and the PIJ. Hamas views the PIJ as undisciplined and in need of constant control and supervision, while the PIJ seeks to gain public support by being more active against Israel. Although it is not known whether Hamas succeeded in fully implementing its plans to take over the PIJ, the war in the Gaza Strip showed that the two movements were able to overcome their differences and cooperate in dealing with Israel, including the deals to release the hostages. In ITIC’s assessment, although Hamas will ostensibly relinquish political control in the Gaza Strip as part of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, both organizations can be expected to refuse to disarm and continue to attack Israeli security forces and civilians in accordance with the vision of a jihad war until the "annihilation of Israel." However, if Hamas is pragmatic, in all probability the conflict between the two movements will resume and intensify, publicly as well.
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The committee of Technocrats Who Will Manage the Gaza Strip

On January 14, 2026, Steve Witkoff, the American special envoy, announced the beginning of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. Following that, the establishment of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza was announced, a Palestinian technocratic body intended to manage day-to-day affairs in the Strip in accordance with the American 20-point plan; Most of the committee's 12 members, headed by Dr. Ali Shaath, are affiliated with Fatah and the Palestinian Authority (PA), and some of them served in PA governments and public institutions. Committee members include Sami Nisman, a former official in Palestinian General Intelligence who was sentenced to imprisonment by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and Hana Tarazi, the only woman on the committee and a Christian lawyer specializing in Islamic law; The members of the committee are entrusted with establishing the Gazans' security, restoring essential services and fostering a society based on peace, democracy and justice. Committee chairman Shaath said its top priorities included providing shelter for residents and clearing rubble, and the cancellation of fees and taxes for Gazans and businesses in the Strip had already been ordered; Hamas claimed it was transferring governing authorities to the committee, while the PA noted the need to link institutions in the Gaza Strip with Judea and Samaria; In ITIC assessment, despite the committee's genuine desire to begin its operations, in all probability it will encounter difficulties in translating its vision into reality. First, Israel will prevent them from entering the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing as long as the issue of the last murdered Israeli hostage is unresolved, forcing committee members to operate from Egypt. In addition, the degree of freedom of movement the committee will receive remains unclear, particularly in areas where Israel maintains security control. Moreover, despite Hamas' alleged willingness to transfer governance to the committee, it will have to rely on tens of thousands of employees who remain loyal to Hamas after nearly two decades of absolute Hamas control in the Strip. In such a situation, the committee will at best be able to carry out limited assistance and reconstruction activities, but most likely not to resolve core issues of control, security and demilitarization.
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