As of Tuesday evening, the Israeli army claimed that the Palestinian armed group was behind a rocket fire which fell near the hospital.
Who is behind the explosion at the al-Ahli Arabi hospital in Gaza, which left many victims on Tuesday, October 17? While Hamas attributes this tragedy to the Israeli army, the latter defended itself by accusing the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) of being the author. “Evidence…confirms that Gaza hospital explosion was caused by failed Islamic Jihad rocket”said Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari during a press conference on Wednesday morning. “Lies”retorts the Palestinian Islamist organization. “As usual, the Zionist enemy is trying, through the fabrication of lies, to evade its responsibility for the brutal massacre it committed”she exclaims in a press release.
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But what is Palestinian Islamic Jihad? According to the Council for International Relationsan independent think tank, it is an Islamist and nationalist movement “violently opposed to the existence of Israel”, classified since 1997 as a terrorist organization by the American Department of State. Unlike Hamas, which is also a political actor, Palestinian Islamic Jihad only acts through the use of weapons.
An “Islamo-revolutionary” group
“Unlike Hamas, Islamic Jihad has no desire to exercise political power”explains political scientist Leïla Seurat, researcher at the Arab Center for Research and Political Studies (Carep), in The world. The movement is notably responsible for suicide attacks, such as that of 1996 in Tel Aviv, which left 13 dead and 75 injured. It has been led since 2018 by Ziad al Nakhala, exiled in Damascus, Syria, who “carries out shuttles on behalf of the movement within the region”reports researcher David Rigoulet-Roze, specialist in the Middle East, interviewed by BFMTV.
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Islamic Jihad was founded around 1980 by Fathi Shiqaqi. Initially, this Palestinian was “close to the Muslim Brotherhood organization, but he gradually distanced himself from it by denouncing his lack of commitment to the national liberation struggle”recalls Leïla Seurat in The world. The Muslim Brotherhood is in fact considered “too moderate” which leads Fathi Shiqaqi and his allies to “create a distinct group, initially Islamo-nationalist, but more broadly Islamo-revolutionary”explains David Rigoulet-Roze to BFMTV.
This movement “the plural ideological heritage” thus escapes “to the classic categories of regional Islamist movements”summarizes François Ceccaldi, researcher at the Collège de France, in an article for the journal The life of ideas. “While claiming a Sunni Palestinian territorial anchor, the movement does not hide its fascination for revolutionary Shiism embodied by Iran or even for the struggle led by Hezbollah in Lebanon against Israel”he explains.
An active role on October 7
A proximity with Iran which does not stop at the ideological aspect, since Tehran maintains close relations with the two Palestinian movements. Iran was also one of the first countries to welcome the Hamas offensive. The regime is even suspected of having participated indirectly in the conflict. According to an investigation by Wall Street Journalofficers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards allegedly plotted the attack against Israel during meetings in Beirut.
Islamic Jihad has also been in the sights of the Israeli army since the deadly Hams attack against the Jewish state on Saturday October 7. The Islamist group claimed to have held at least 30 hostages in Gaza, then to have infiltrated Israel from the Lebanese border. “If Israel is attacking Islamic Jihad today, it is because it wants to eliminate it in the same way as Hamas and sow discord between the two”estimates Myriam Benraad, professor of international relations, in The Express.
“The IDF seeks to divide the Palestinians to weaken this ideological cause which targets the State of Israel and the Jewish people”, continues the expert. Especially since the movement enjoys “very popular with the Palestinian population”notes political scientist Leïla Seurat in The world. “Not only in Gaza – not being in power, Islamic Jihad has not suffered from the depreciation of its image, like Hamas – but also in the West Bank.”