Iran has informed the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, its proxy in the Gaza Strip, that it will be slashing its aid by half, citing the dire economic crisis in the Islamic republic.
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According to a report in Egyptian daily Al-Masry al-Youm, Iran has been gradually scaling back its support for the PIJ for several years, but now has to impose a more drastic cutback.
Islamic Jihad is the second-largest terrorist group in Gaza. It often clashes with Hamas, the terrorist group that seized power of the coastal enclave from the Palestinian Authority in 2007 in a military coup.
The Egyptian daily cited an official with the Al-Quds Brigades, PIJ's military wing, as saying that Tehran has informed the groups that it will cut its support for its operations until at least the end of the year.
Iran has reportedly been critical of Islamic Jihad spending, and the exorbitant salaries it pays operatives on all levels.
The Palestinian terrorist group's leaders are reportedly furious over the move, and the cuts have led to an internal dispute between the commanders of the Al-Quds Brigades, which has even resulted in an armed conflict between them.
Another senior PIJ official told the daily the group was facing the most severe financial crisis in months and it had affected it across all levels.
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