Has Iran's influence increased in Palestinian arena?
Shortly after the Palestinian Islamic Jihad named Ziyad al-Nakhalah to be its new secretary-general and elected member of the political bureau, Nakhalah threatened Israel and launched an intra-Palestinian initiative in his first political discourse.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the new secretary-general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), gave Oct. 5 his first political discourse. He threatened to respond to the Israeli army killing of peaceful protesters along the border with the Gaza Strip.
Speaking in front of protesters in eastern Gaza, Nakhalah said, “The courageous Palestinian resistance has the capacity and capabilities to make the Gaza envelope and the surrounding settlements uninhabitable. … Al-Quds Brigades and [Izz ad-Din] al-Qassam Brigades will not keep mum and will act in the right moment to halt any disdain for the blood of our people.”
In his televised remarks, Nakhalah also proposed an initiative to end the Hamas-Fatah divide. The initiative consists of five points, namely convene the PLO's Temporary Leadership Framework, and ensure that the Egypt-mediated truce agreement between Hamas and Israel does not force the PIJ and resistance factions to refrain from military action against any Israeli violation.
Meanwhile, on Oct. 4, Al-Quds Brigades, the PIJ’s military wing, organized a major military parade in central Gaza City, involving hundreds of gunmen and a new missile, without unveiling its military capabilities and arms ranges.
