There may also be political considerations. That could intensify international scrutiny of the country’s military - already accused of possible war crimes in previous Gaza wars. Involving Hamas would significantly escalate the conflict, increasing the likelihood of Israeli casualties and pushing up the Palestinian death toll.
Soon after its first strikes, Israel declared its mission accomplished and has been careful not to attack Hamas sites in the ensuing exchange of fire. Israeli lawmakers have repealed a 2005 act that saw four Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank dismantled when it withdrew from the Gaza Strip. World & Nation Israel repeals 2005 act on West Bank settlement pullout Israel alleged that one had been trying to establish a rocket-manufacturing operation in the West Bank. The Israeli military described its targeted killings of Islamic Jihad commanders earlier this week as an effort to eliminate a dangerous wild card from the territory. “If Islamic Jihad didn’t respond by throwing hundreds of rockets at Israel, it would lose its strength and meaning as a political party,” said Reham Owda, an independent Gaza-based political analyst.
Experts say the group’s retaliation signals its own sensitivity to Palestinian public opinion. The Israeli military alleged that the commanders were involved in launching rockets against Israel last week in response to the death of a prominent hunger-striking Islamic Jihad leader in Israeli prison. In a surprise attack Tuesday, Israeli warplanes killed three top Islamic Jihad commanders along with the wives of two of them and some of their children as they slept in their homes. Hamas “is urging Islamic Jihad to show restraint.” What’s driving Islamic Jihad this time? But it’s also telling them, ‘There are red lines you can’t cross so we avoid a major escalation,’” said Skare. “Publicly, Hamas has to support Islamic Jihad. To preserve its reputation as the main Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas has professed support for its heavily armed and rebellious rival through an umbrella group known as the “joint operations room.” But behind the scenes, experts say Hamas is conveying a very different message. What’s the relationship between Hamas and Islamic Jihad in this conflict? Sensitive to public opinion, the ruling militant group has sought to keep a lid on conflict with Israel that could spark popular anger, cost thousands of Gazans permits to work inside Israel, and deepen the fatigue of a population that already has suffered four bloody wars and an Israeli-Egyptian blockade imposed after Hamas seized control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in 2007. The Israeli military says that it made a “mistake” in launching a secretive influence campaign on social media. World & Nation Israeli army admits to covert influence campaign in Gaza war
An 11-day war between Israel and Hamas in May 2021 killed more than 260 Palestinians and devastated the territory. In the past, escalations between Israel and Islamic Jihad have dragged in Hamas, jeopardizing its cash flow from ally Qatar, cutting off supplies to the territory and decimating public services and vital infrastructure. Islamic Jihad - focused solely on military confrontations - has the most to gain from violence with Israel, while Hamas, as the de facto civilian government, increasingly has the most to lose. What are the differences between Hamas and Islamic Jihad?Īlthough Hamas and Islamic Jihad have the shared goal of fighting Israel, key differences have stirred tensions. Islamic Jihad, meanwhile, has cultivated closer ties with Iran. Although it has begun to repair those ties, it also has worked to improve relations with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states. Hamas ruptured relations with Iran over Tehran’s support for President Bashar Assad in the devastating Syrian civil war. Some parts have been smuggled through tunnels along Gaza’s southern border, and other weapons are locally produced. Over the years, Iran has sent rockets, antitank weapons and mortar shells to Islamic Jihad and Hamas, Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency assesses. Iran, the archenemy of Israel in the Middle East, heavily funds Islamic Jihad. The group also maintains a presence in the occupied West Bank, where its militants have attacked Israeli civilians and battled soldiers as violence in the territory surges to heights unseen in two decades. Rather than engage in Palestinian elections or concern itself with social welfare as Hamas has done, Islamic Jihad has kept a singular focus on fighting Israel.
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