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| Ziyad al-Nakhalah, Leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) |
International Military - Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Gaza, Palestine, has been involved in a three-day rocket war with the Israeli military. PIJ is led by Ziyad al-Nakhalah, a Palestinian militant who has not stopped fighting against the Zionist regime even though he was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned by Israel.
PIJ was formed in 1981 by Abd Al Aziz Awda (71). He is on the United States (US) list of "Specially Designated Terrorists" and has been wanted by the FBI since February 24, 2006. He is thought to be still living in Damascus, Syria, or possibly in Lebanon.
The PIJ was formed as a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and was ideologically influenced in its formation by the ruling government in Iran.
The military wing of the PIJ is the Al-Quds Brigades, also formed in 1981, which is active in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with its main strongholds in the West Bank being the cities of Hebron and Jenin. PIJ has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Israel.
Ziyad Against Israel Before being led by Ziyad al-Nakhalah since 2018, PIJ was led by Fathi Shaqaqi (1981–1995) and Ramadhan Shalah (1995–2018). Ziyad al-Nakhalah was born on April 6, 1953 in Khan Yunis, Gaza, which was then under Egyptian occupation.
In 1971, Nakhalah was sentenced to life imprisonment in Israel for his militant activities with the Arab Liberation Front. He was one of 1,150 security prisoners released by Israel on May 21, 1985 in a prisoner swap under the Jibril Agreement.
After being released from an Israeli prison, the then Secretary General of PIJ Fathi Shikaki assigned Nakhalah to establish the group's military wing in the Gaza Strip called the Al-Quds Brigades. Al-Nakhalah was arrested and detained again by Israel in April 1988 for his role in the First Intifada.
After his release, he fled to Lebanon in August 1988 with other PIJ leaders. On January 23, 2014, Ziyad al-Nakhalah was designated a "Special Terrorist" by the United States, resulting in his property and interests in the United States being frozen.
The US also offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest. Al-Nakhalah was elected General Secretary of PIJ on 28 September 2018, replacing Ramadan Salah, who suffered a stroke in April 2018.
Despite leading the PIJ, he was not in Gaza, even when his group engaged in a three-day rocket war with the Israeli military. The war that started last Thursday ended with a ceasefire that took effect Sunday (7/8/2022).
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, 41 people died on the Palestinian side during the three-day conflict. While on the Israeli side there were no reports of casualties.