Khaled Abu Toameh

How the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Turned into a Religious War - The Jihad to Destroy Israel

Armed and funded by Iran, the "battalions," whose members are affiliated with PIJ, Hamas and the ruling Fatah faction headed by Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, began operating in the northern West Bank more than three years ago. "Iran

The armed wing of the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) announced on Aug. 26 that five of its members had been “martyred while performing their combat duty in the West Bank.”

One of the reasons why the PA is reluctant to crack down on the "battalions" is because its members are aware that they enjoy widespread support among the Palestinian public.

The PA's failure to crack down on the "battalions" means that Iran now has a small army in the West Bank

For Iran and its allies, the conflict does not concern borders, refugees, prisoners, settlements, or checkpoints. It is actually about Israel's continued existence in the Middle East.

The Israeli operation aims to prevent Iran and its Palestinian proxies from opening a new front against Israel from the West Bank.

A terror group committed to the elimination of Israel should have no role in any Palestinian government—not in the West Bank and certainly not in the Gaza Strip.

As far as Hamas leaders are concerned, the involvement of Iran's other proxies in the Jihad against Israel has been insufficient. Hamas leaders were hoping to see Arab and Muslim armies march on Israel and fulfill their dream of replacing it with a

Had the international community held the Palestinian Authority (PA) accountable for financial and administrative corruption after the signing of the Oslo Accords 30 years ago, the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist group would not have gained popularity among