TEL AVIV – Psychological warfare against the Islamic Jihad? The IDF has distributed a leaflet at West Bank and Gaza roadblocks warning Palestinians that attacks by the Islamic Jihad could jeopardize concessions and work permits granted to local residents. Following a recent string of Islamic Jihad attacks, military officials announced the army is set to intensify its activity against the group, which has been increasingly undermining the fragile, relative lull in Israeli-Palestinian violence. Subsequently, the IDF detained more than 60 group members during recent raids, and now it is calling on Palestinians to stop the Jihad from sabotaging progress made so far, by reminding residents of recent Israeli goodwill gestures . The leaflet reads: “Distinguished Palestinian civilian. Did you know? Israeli actions for the benefit of the Palestinians since January 2005 include the following: working permits in Israel for more than 6,000 laborers every day, more than 1,000 sleepover permits for laborers in Israel every day…” “The Islamic Jihad movement is investing all its efforts to undermine those actions…which harms the Palestinian people and the efforts to achieve stability and economic prosperity…don’t let the Islamic Jihad movement harm your livelihood and your children’s future.” Psychological warfare unit reestablished This is not the first time the army is turning to psychological warfare in its efforts to de-legitimize terror groups in the eyes of the Palestinian population. At one time, the IDF handed out caricatures showing terrorists’ rockets coming back to hit Palestinian homes. The success of such measures is hard to gauge, but in some cases in the past Gaza residents chased away terrorists who wanted to used their neighborhoods as launching sites for rockets and mortars. Notably, the IDF has reestablished its psychological warfare unit early in 2005 after a long hiatus. The unit, which was cut down before the intifadah broke out, operates mostly in the Palestinian theater and aims to provide the army with better methods for influencing and communicating with local residents.