The militant group that is an ally of Hamas and took part in the Oct 7 cross-border attack, denies Israel’s accusations that it is behind a strike on a hospital in Gaza that killed hundreds of people.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) was founded in was founded by Palestinian students studying in Egypt in the late 1970s – Fathi Shaqaqi and Abd al-Aziz Awda.
PIJ and Hamas share goal of the creation of a Palestinian state, but PIJ disagrees with statements by Hamas leaders softening their commitment to the destruction of Israel.
PIJ has a significant presence in the West Bank town of Jenin, as well as its leadership in Lebanon and Syria, where it maintains close ties with Iranian officials.
Israel has pointed the finger at Islamic Jihad for the bombing of Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City late on Oct 17. The group has denied any role in the blast.
