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Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-714148
Iran's Malign Hand behind the Scenes in Gaza
(Jerusalem Post) Herb Keinon - During the fighting in Gaza, Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah was in Tehran. Iran supports Hamas but it controls Islamic Jihad. Iran's interest is to cause Israel as much hurt as possible. After three days, Israel can point to several significant achievements. First, it surprised Islamic Jihad on Friday with its pinpoint strike on the safe house in Gaza City of its northern command head Tayseer al-Jabari, as well as killing at the same time Abdullah Kadoum, head of the anti-tank guided-missile section. On Saturday, Khaled Mansour, the southern command chief, was killed. Israel also sent a message that it will continue to fight terrorism originating in the West Bank by going on the offensive, by taking the battle to the enemy, and not waiting until a terrorist attack "succeeds" before going after the terrorists. Islamic Jihad's attempts to establish new rules - whereby any IDF action in the West Bank would lead to an automatic Islamic Jihad response or the threat of one that could paralyze life in Israeli communities near Gaza - would not be tolerated. Islamic Jihad did not act as expected - issue some threats, maybe even fire some rockets toward Israel - because it was not in Iran's interest. Tehran has no interest in calming the situation.