The IDF's increased operational activity across Judea and Samaria is agitating the Islamic Jihad, Palestinian sources told Israel Hayom.
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Military raids, especially in Jenin, a known Islamic Jihad stronghold, are perceived by the terrorist group as "an attempt to undermine the power the vitality of the organization, which cannot be tolerated."
According to one source, the PIJ perceives IDF operations as "an Israeli attempt to slowly erode the group's hold on the West Bank, and they take that very seriously. Add to that the fact that two PIJ operatives were killed in clashes with IDF troops near Jenin in recent days and there is a drive to exact revenge.
"Things are piling up. They're saying that they can't just contain the situation and move on, especially of things continue like this."
An escalation may also be driven by the need to save face and assert dominance over Hamas, the terrorist group controlling the Gaza Strip, he explained.
"People on the street are criticizing the Gaza factions because they did nothing over the flag march. They are accusing Hamas and Islamic Jihad of agreeing to contain events to get more money. For the PIJ, to be attacked like that and spoken of as if they are traitors who had abandoned the [Palestinian] resistance – it's humiliating. They won't tolerate it."
Another issue driving the PIJ's desire to provoke escalation is the recent strike on Damascus International Airport, which foreign media reports have attributed to Israel.
"Damascus International Airport is a symbol. This [the strike] is the talk of the day all over the Arab world. This wasn't a strike against some remote site. There's a lot of anger about that."
Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah issued a statement on Sunday saying that the terrorist group "will not stand for this continued humiliation. The daily violations of the enemy in Jerusalem and al-Aqsa, the daily killings of Palestinian people in West Bank cities, the demolition of houses, infringements against prisoners, and disregard for hunger strikes by administrative detainees, all require all national and Islamic forces – as well as the Palestinian people, wherever they are – to take serious action.
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