Fighting alongside Hamas—Palestinian Islamic Jihad

The terror organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) was founded around the period of the late 1970s or early 1980s by Fathi Shaqaqi and Abd al-Aziz Awda as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Their goal? To establish a sovereign Palestinian Islamic State within the geographic borders of pre-1948 Mandatory Palestine.  PIJ rejects the political process completely and states that its goals can only be achieved through violence.

 

Iran is the organization’s primary supporter providing PIJ with money, weapons, and training, making them one of several terrorist proxies of the regime. The closeness of the relationship between Iran and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad was demonstrated by the presence of Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah in Tehran for a meeting with the Iranian regime’s leadership while his terror group launched a barrage of rockets at Israel.

 

While PIJ’s manpower is estimated to be less than 10,000, its level of fanaticism and support from Iran coupled with its ability to launch deadly terror attacks mean the organization will continue to pose a real threat to Israeli safety and security until it is destroyed. This was displayed during the 10/7 Massacre, as PIJ terrorists committed horrific atrocities and mass murder alongside their terrorist allies from Hamas.

 

As Israel fights in Gaza, it is not just dismantling Hamas but their PIJ allies as well. As Christians United for Israel, we must remain informed about threats to Israel so we can be the strongest defenders of the Jewish state and her people.