The tension between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad peaked on Friday with the elimination Tayseer Jabari, the group's commander in northern Gaza. Since the blow the PIJ suffered over the 2019 elimination of Jabari's predecessor, Baha Abu al-Ata, the Iranian-backed terrorist group has been trying to recover.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
This was imperative to restore morale, maintain operational readiness, and – perhaps most important – maintain the organizational hierarchy and convey to the operatives on the ground that there is a commander in place who they can follow.
Jabari was about halfway through this mission and his elimination sent the PIJ back to where it was in the wake of Abu al-Ata's demise – facing an organizational vacuum.
In just under three years, the Islamic Jihad in Gaza has found itself facing the exact same challenge. Jabari's elimination was a surprise, without the PIJ having the time or the opportunity to name a successor to take over for Jabri when the time came. This void is temporary, and most likely sooner or later someone will be found to fill his shoes. Hamas, for its part, would like that to happen as soon as possible, thinking that an organization with an orderly structure and a clear framework would be easier to handle, spelling a lesser chance for anarchy and "and other problems from the rogue terrorist groups.
Hamas has allowed the PIJ to take the lead in the opening phase of the current round of violence against Israel, which decided to go for the "divide and conquer" approach this time when dealing with the two terrorist groups.
This is a double-edged sword for Hamas, which on the one hand apparently enjoys the fact that it is not on the receiving end of the Israeli strikes, but on the other hand, it portrays Gaza's rulers as letting others "fight and die for Palestine" without taking part in the "effort."
Ostensibly, Hamas' leadership are turning a blind eye, allowing the PIJ enough rope - with the hope that it doesn't break.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
