Are jihadists coming to the West Bank?
The recent deaths of three Palestinian men in Hebron has sparked a local debate on the presence of Salafist jihadism in the West Bank.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — When Israeli occupation forces assassinated three young men in the southern West Bank city of Hebron on the evening of Nov. 26, Israeli and Palestinian security sources agreed that they were members of a Salafist jihadist cell, which West Bank Palestinians had never known existed.
At the funerals of Mohammed Nairoukh, Mahmoud Najjar and Moussa Makhamreh in Hebron and the neighboring town of Yatta, Nairoukh's coffin was draped in Hamas’ flag, while black banners of the Salafist movement fluttered above and draped the bodies of the other two men. This was taken as a clear indication that they were members of the Salafist jihadist movement, though the existence of such a movement remained the subject of heated debate among locals.
Statements by Palestinian security sources, along with their affirmation that they had launched a security campaign targeting “Salafist jihadist” groups and arrested 22 people as a result, settled the debate in favor of the presence of such groups, even if their actual capabilities, armament and numbers were still unknown.
The Mujahedeen Shura Council also announced, following the assassination of the three young men in Hebron, that it had commenced its military operations in the West Bank. It confirmed in a communique that the eliminated cell was but the tip of the iceberg. A person knowledgeable in Salafist affairs who requested anonymity told Al-Monitor that the statement made use of non-jihadist expressions, such as “fearless” and “lionhearted,” which prove that it is a “fabrication.” Palestinian security sources later stated that Nairoukh headed the group assassinated by Israeli occupation forces and had recently begun organizing armed groups and preparing to launch attacks.
