(Ha'aretz) Muhammad Shehada - Islamic Jihad in Gaza received a green light from their top leaders in Damascus to retaliate against Israel's attack on one of their main tunnels, which led to the death of several of their leaders. Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders in Gaza, however, are convinced that now isn't the time for a direct conflict with Israel that would bring more devastation to Gaza. Hamas' Gaza chief, Yahia al-Sinwar, is deeply invested in the success of the delicate process of Palestinian reconciliation. Thus, Hamas leaders have exerted great pressure on Islamic Jihad to maintain self-control. The end-of-November meeting of Palestinian factions in Egypt makes it even harder for Islamic Jihad to undertake an act that would squarely put further escalation solely on its shoulders.
2017-11-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive