Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhala on Sunday warned Israel that its "continued aggression" in east Jerusalem and the West Bank could spark fresh hostilities.
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Speaking with Hezbollah's Al-Manar television channel, Nakhala said that the same conditions that saw tensions erupt into a full-scale military operation in May 2021 still exist, making a conflict not only possible, but likely.
Operation Guardian of the Walls saw PIJ and Hamas terrorist fire over 4,000 rockets at south and central Israel, as military strikes decimated terrorist infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.
The recent wave of terrorism has again raised the issue of whether Israel should mount a wide-scale counterterrorism operation in the West Bank, as it did in 2002, when Operation Defensive Shied eradicated terrorist infrastructure in the area.
"The Palestinian resistance organizations will not neglect their duty to the residents of Jenin, Jerusalem and all of Palestine, and together they will make a decision regarding activity on the ground."
The city of Jenin is a known PIJ stronghold in the Palestinian territories. It was also the hometown of Ra'ad Hazem, who killed three Israelis in a shooting attack in Tel Aviv on April 7. The nearby village of Ya'bad was home to Diaa Hamarsheh, who murdered five Israelis in a terrorist attack in Bnei Brak on March 29.
"At any moment, the situation among the Palestinian people may come to a boiling point," Nakhala added, noting that last year's hostilities erupted over "the occupation's attempts to expel the residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood [in Jerusalem] … the same factors also exist today".
Palestinian "resistance organizations are all inclined to support the position of Islamic Jihad – that the Palestinian bloodshed must be avenged. … We are in a direct confrontation with the occupation and at any moment we must expect a comprehensive confrontation."
He urged more terrorist attacks, saying, "Every Palestinian today can carry out an attack. Today, attacks are taking place in a certain way within Israeli territory or as part of the resistance within the West Bank, but we hope that there will be other types of attacks."
Calling on Arab Israelis to join the Palestinian "cause" Nakhala said, "We expect a confrontation with Israel. The Palestinian people are one – it is impossible to separate the different fronts."
Also on Sunday, Palestinians in Jerusalem are threatening that the entry of Jewish residents into the Petra Hotel complex near the Jaffa Gate in the Old City could ignite a new crisis in the capital.
For decades, the Petra Hotel has been a favorite for tourists from all over the world who visit Jerusalem, and over time it has become a hallmark of the Old City. In 2004, the Greek Orthodox Church sold the hotel to the Jewish Ateret Cohanim organization, in what turned into a major controversy that saw the Greek patriarch try to renege on the deal, which was eventually held up by the court. The matter is currently still under appeal and the legal proceedings are ongoing.
In recent days, local Palestinians have been organizing protests against Jews' entry to the hotel compound, calling it the "first step in "establishing a Jewish presence" in the Jaffa Gate area, where Christian churches own most of the real estate.
Hamas, the terrorist group that rules the Gaza Strip, has also condemned the "new crime aimed at Judaizing the city" and called on the Palestinian public to resist the move.
Other Palestinian organizations have also warned that any entry by "settlers' to the compound would lead to violent riots, similar to those that took place in Sheikh Jarrah.
A Jerusalem-based Fatah official also warned that the Palestinian Authority "cannot prevent Palestinians in east Jerusalem from protecting their land. This could lead to an explosion.
"This isn't about Fatah or Hamas – there's no political issue here. the Palestinian factions are united around issues like this and there is solidarity. If Israel in its actions pushes us into this, then the response will be Sheikh Jarrah number 2, where you tried all means of repression and failed, as well as in Khan al-Ahmar."
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