Search

Hamas looks to recruit Arab-Israelis en masse for next confrontation with Israel

Palestinian Islamic Jihad denies reports of proposed long-term ceasefire with Israel, as Hamas suggests it is gearing up for major campaign against the Jewish state.

By World Israel News Staff

A senior member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization has denied reports that his group is considering a proposal to establish a long-term ceasefire with Israel, built on the limited agreement reached a month ago, ending five days of fighting.

Ihsan Ataya, a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s political bureau and the group’s liaison in Lebanon, told Al-Rid news that the terrorist group is still “in an open war with the Israeli occupation.”

There is no cease-fire as some claim,” Ataya continued. “The occupation only understands the language of force.”

“The way of negotiation has failed, and we are a movement of struggle and will continue to struggle against the Israeli occupation, and everything that happens in the (West) Bank is the best proof of the continuation of the struggle.”

“We follow the path of struggle until the liberation of Palestine.”

Islamic Jihad’s primary rival in the Gaza Strip, Hamas, also indicated it is preparing for future attacks against Israeli targets, with a senior Hamas official saying the organization is looking to bring Arab-Israelis into the conflict en masse.

Read  Egypt proposes 2-day ceasefire plan to return 4 Israeli hostages

Ayman Nofal, a member of the General Military Council of the al-Qassam Brigades – a wing of the Hamas terror group – and commander of the military liaison unit, told Al Jazeera that his organization is looking to coordinate with all terrorist factions across Gaza, Judea, Samaria, and within pre-1967 Israel for a joint future effort against the Jewish state.

The joint front of Palestinian terrorist organizations, which rose to prominence during the conflict in the Gaza Strip last month, understands the importance of creating multiple fronts against Israel, Nofal said, including in large Arab population centers inside the State of Israel.