What is the Islamic Jihad, blamed by Israel for the Gaza hospital blast?
The group, which receives funding and weapons from Iran, has rejected the political process and says its objectives can be achieved only through military means
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has been blamed by Israel for the explosion at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza on Tuesday (October 17) that has claimed several hundred lives.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) cited intelligence inputs and said the blast at the hospital was caused by a failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad, which the group has denied.
The Islamic Jihad is a Palestinian Islamist paramilitary organisation founded in 1981 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, and is ideologically influenced by the Islamic regime in Iran. Its objective is the establishment of an Islamic Palestinian state, and for the destruction of Israel. It rejects the two-state solution.
The group receives funding and weapons from Iran. It has rejected the political process and says its objectives can be achieved only through military means.
The Islamic Jihad is the second-largest militant group in Gaza, after the Hamas, and has a presence in the West Bank also. The outfit often works in coordination with Hamas, though sometimes there is friction between them, according to a report by NYT.
The Islamic Jihad’s past operations have included suicide bombings, firing of rockets into Israel, and attacks on Israeli civilians.
It has been designated a terrorist organisation by the United States, Israel, the European Union, and other countries. Israel considers this group to be the most extreme in its operational methods and in its commitment to the destruction of Israel.