Islamic Jihad’s popularity grows after Gaza war
The public approval ratings of Islamic Jihad received a boost after the Gaza war, benefiting from the group's determination to stay out of the Hamas-Fatah feud.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The latest Gaza war has done little to change the ideological position of Islamic Jihad, which continues to repeat its goals of resisting the occupation and recovering the entire land of Palestine.
Islamic Jihad is firm in its position, although on the ground it agreed to a truce that is not in line with its creed, which calls for a ceaseless struggle against the occupation forces. During an interview with Al-Monitor, Khaled al-Batsh, a leader of Islamic Jihad, stressed that the movement is committed to a cease-fire and denied any knowledge of mortar shelling of Eshkol on Sept. 16.
“We are not aware of this. We are committed to the cease-fire that was reached under the auspices of Egypt, as long as Israel is committed to it,” he said.
While stressing that the movement is committed to the cease-fire, he said that Islamic Jihad is engaging in a national liberation phase and will not abandon its right to resist, acknowledged by UN resolutions.
