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Stoking the fires?
Photo: AP
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Islamic Jihad has repeatedly violated cease-fire with attacks; now, with heightened IDF pressure on its members, Palestinian group threatens even more terror, calls on Mahmoud Abbas not to meet with Israelis; Defense Minister Mofaz: ‘We’ll continue to act against Jihad’
By Ali Waked and Hanan Greenberg
On the eve of disengagement, Israel and Islamic Jihad are heading for full-out confrontation: The Islamic Jihad threatened on Thursday to carry out even more terror attacks if the government continues what the group calls, “the Israeli hunt after activists.”
The group said that in the last few days, Israel has arrested 300 of its members and killed others.
The group also said it is feeling the ire of the Israeli defense establishment following a series of attempted and successful terrorist attacks by the Palestinian group.
The terrorist group called on Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas “to stop running after meetings with Israelis and return to the bosom of the resistance and the fight against the Israeli occupation.”
The group is responsible for the death of two Israelis in the last week.
- Yevgeny Raider, 28, in a terrorist attack near Baqa al-Sharqiya
- Sergeant First-Class Avi Karouchi,
26, in a clash in Gaza.
In response, the IDF cracked down on the Islamic Jihad, conducting a wave of arrests in the West Bank and attempted to assassinate a terrorist in his Beit Lahia home
Islamic Jihad defends itself
Jihad sources said that it had not violated any cease-fire because “there were 8,000 Israeli violations before we did anything.”
The Islamist movement called a press conference for Friday in order to explain its side of the story on cease-fire violations. But the fact that Jihad must explain its actions at all can be seen as the result of pressure from the Palestinian street.
In the last few days, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad called upon other terror groups to take up arms if what it deems Israeli cease-fire violations continue.
The group can expect backing from other militants, particularly from the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, which is not satisfied with armed processions and empty threats of terrorism.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz responded to the new Islamic Jihad threats: “We will never allow our citizens be exposed to threats and danger during disengagement. Thus we are operating against the Islamic Jihad, and arresting whomever we can.”
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