Despite eyewitness identifying assailant as member of terror group, PIJ official insists Israel behind assassination attempt.
By World Israel News Staff
A senior member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group spoke out about a failed assassination attempt on one of its prominent operatives over the weekend, saying that Israel’s Shin Bet security agency was responsible for the shooting.
On Saturday, a gunman reportedly shot at high-ranking PIJ member Khader Adnan in the city of Shechem (Nablus), although the exact location of the attack was not made public.
While Adnan escaped the shooting physically unharmed, his nephew, Nasser Al-Mublasat, was injured by shrapnel.
Al-Mublasat’s brother was one of three terrorists assassinated by the Shin Bet in a daylight operation in the city several weeks ago.
Hebrew-language defense and security blogger Abu Ali Express reported that Adnan told associates he had recognized the gunman as Khaled Halawa, who is affiliated with PIJ.
But despite an eyewitness identifying another member of the terror group as the assailant in the attack on Adnan, secretary-general of PIJ Ziad Al-Nakhala told Arabic-language media that Israel was the perpetrator.
“The Israeli Shin Bet is behind this incident. An attack on Adnan is like an attack on the Islamic Jihad movement,” Al-Nakhala said.
“We will respond according to this assumption.”
Abu Ali Express reported that another unnamed PIJ official said that the shooting “only serves the occupation,” dismissing the idea that it could have been triggered by internal rivalries within the terror group.
In December 2021, PIJ and Hamas pledged to increase cooperation and ramp up terrorist attacks, particularly in Judea and Samaria, during “a lengthy leadership meeting.”
“They reportedly agreed on the need to strengthen and develop the resistance in all forms,” Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh, who first reported on the story, told JNS.
Palestinian political analysts told Toameh that the agreement is also a way to undermine the Palestinian Authority.
The agreement’s announcement came shortly after Israel announced the capture of the terrorists who killed Yehuda Dimentman on Dec. 16. PIJ claimed responsibility for that attack.