Latest news with #PIJ
Roya News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Palestinian Islamic Jihad accuses PA of torturing member to death in custody
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement issued a statement Sunday accusing the Palestinian Authority (PA) of torturing one of its members to death while in custody in Ramallah. In the statement, the group announced the death of Ahmed Abu Al-Najaj (also known as Al-Safouri), a member of the Jenin Battalion, claiming he died as a result of torture inside a PA detention facility. Abu Al-Najaj had previously spent five years in 'Israeli' prisons and was detained by Palestinian security forces at the start of Israeli Occupation's ongoing aggression in Gaza. PIJ strongly condemned the "continued security coordination" between the PA and 'Israeli' forces, accusing the PA of targeting resistance fighters and mistreating detainees, even as Palestinians in Gaza face a devastating humanitarian crisis marked by widespread hunger and relentless 'Israeli' bombardment. The group also alleged that the PA had refused to hand over Abu Al-Najaj's body to his family or allow an independent autopsy. The PA has reportedly claimed the detainee took his own life; an assertion rejected by PIJ and the family of the deceased. 'This crime only serves the goals of the Israeli enemy and reveals how far the security apparatus in Ramallah has gone in its betrayal of the people,' the statement read. PIJ called for the immediate release of all political detainees and resistance fighters held by the PA and urged Palestinian political factions and leaders to intervene to prevent internal strife and avoid fueling tensions that could benefit Israeli Occupation. The incident comes amid a broader Israeli Occupation military offensive across Gaza and the occupied West Bank, with repeated reports of escalating violence, arrests, and settlement expansion.
Memri
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Palestinian Islamic Jihad's Representative in Iran Nasser Abu Sharif: We Receive Iranian Funding, But They Make No Demands of Us; We Consult Them on Operations That Could Affect Them
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) representative in Iran, Nasser Abu Sharif, discussed the organization's ties with Iran in an interview with Arabic Post on YouTube, posted on May 14, 2025. He confirmed that PIJ currently receives direct funding from Iran, but said that this was not always the case. According to Abu Sharif, formal relations between Iran and PIJ began in 1988; prior to that, Iran maintained ties with the PLO and Fatah. Abu Sharif referred to Jews and Christians as 'infidels' and argued that blame should not be directed at Iran or PIJ, but at those who normalize relations with Jews and establish ties with them. He said Iran has never issued specific requests to PIJ, but that the group considers Iranian interests in matters that could affect Iran. As an example, he cited a 2012 incident in which PIJ leader Ramadan Shalah consulted Iran before launching a rocket at Tel Aviv, because it was Iranian-made and could have made Iran a target.
Middle East Eye
24-04-2025
- Business
- Middle East Eye
UK lifts sanctions on Syrian ministries and intelligence agencies
The UK has lifted sanctions on Syria's defence and interior ministries and a range of its intelligence agencies in a major move towards normalising ties with the country's new government. On Thursday morning, the UK Treasury published a notice revealing it has lifted asset freezes on Syria's General Intelligence Directorate, Air Force Intelligence Agency and Political Security Directorate, as well as its defence and interior ministries. This is despite the Syrian government being led by figures that were part of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the armed group that toppled Bashar al-Assad's government and remains a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK, as well as in the US. Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's new president, has urged Britain and other countries to lift all the sanctions that had been imposed on the country under Assad. 'The sanctions were implemented as a response to crimes committed by the previous regime against the people,' he told the New York Times in an interview published on Wednesday. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In March, the UK lifted sanctions on 24 Syrian entities, including state-owned oil companies and the state airline, becoming the first country to unfreeze all assets of the Central Bank of Syria. Britain's move marks a significant policy shift but is unlikely to have a major material impact without the United States following suit. 'Without the US making serious changes it may not amount to a massive change' - Chris Doyle, Council for Arab-British Understanding Chris Doyle, chair of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, told Middle East Eye: "It is welcome to see sanctions being eased, but without the US making serious changes it may not amount to a massive change. The key will be when the US lifts banking sanctions and money transfers to Syria can be made." Earlier this year the US waived a ban on transactions with the Syrian government, facilitating humanitarian aid. But it has kept sanctions in place, making them contingent on a series of reforms. On 18 March, a US official handed Syria's foreign minister eight demands during a conference in Brussels. The US reportedly demanded that Syria's interim administration publicly ban all Palestinian armed and political activities and deport members of Palestinian armed groups to "ease Israeli concerns". Other demands included allowing US counterterrorism operations inside Syria, designating Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation and forming a unified Syrian army with no foreign fighters in key command roles. PIJ officials arrested The Syrian government appears to be taking steps to appease US demands. Authorities arrested two senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leaders last week. Syria arrests senior PIJ officials after US sets demands for sanctions relief Read More » PIJ's armed wing, the al-Quds Brigades, said on Tuesday that the arrests occurred 'without any explanation' and in 'a manner we would not have hoped to see from our brothers, whose land has always been a haven for loyal and free people'. PIJ has long held a presence in Syria. The group has been the target of Israeli air strikes in recent months, including a 14 November attack on the suburbs of Damascus that killed 15 people, including several PIJ members. Since the fall of Assad, the Israeli army has carried out regular air raids and ground incursions into Syria, sometimes wounding and killing residents in the south. Israeli officials have called for a demilitarisation of southern Syria and claimed the new authorities are a threat to the Druze minority. But many Syrians across the country, including Druze in the south, have firmly rejected Israel's statements and military actions. In early March, a wave of attacks against the country's Alawite minority saw hundreds killed by armed militias, in what appeared to be revenge killings against people accused of being loyal to Assad.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli airstrike kills 10 at Gaza City shelter, Palestinians say
Ten people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a former school building in Gaza City that was being used to shelter displaced Palestinians, the Hamas-controlled civil defence agency said on Wednesday. The Israeli military confirmed it carried out the strike, stating that the building was being used as a command centre by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). The military said members of the groups were present at the time and were planning attacks on Israeli civilians. According to the military, Hamas was using Palestinian civilians as human shields. It added that multiple measures were taken ahead of the overnight strike to minimize harm to the civilian population. Footage circulated in Palestinian media appeared to show fire and extensive damage to the site, including destroyed tents. Unconfirmed reports suggested some victims were burned. The claims from both sides could not be independently verified.
Middle East Eye
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Syria arrests senior PIJ officials after US sets demands for sanctions relief
Syrian authorities have arrested two senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leaders in what appears to be a move to meet US demands for sanctions relief. In a statement published on Tuesday, PIJ's armed wing said that Khaled Khaled, head of the Syrian chapter of the group, and Abu Ali Yasser, head of its executive committee in Syria, were detained five days ago. Al-Quds Brigades said the arrests occurred 'without any explanation' and in 'a manner we would not have hoped to see from our brothers, whose land has always been a haven for loyal and free people'. 'We have been fighting the Zionist enemy continuously for more than a year and a half in the Gaza Strip without surrender,' it said. 'We hope to extend a helping hand and appreciation from our Arab brothers, not the other way around.' There was no immediate comment from Syrian authorities. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters PIJ has long held a presence in Syria. The group has been the subject of Israeli air strikes in recent months, including a 14 November attack on the suburbs of Damascus that killed 15 people, including several PIJ members. Another strike, on 13 March, targeted the alleged home of Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the leader of the Palestinian group. PIJ officials said the home had been empty for years, and that Nakhalah was not in Syria. In December, following the fall of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, Israeli media reported that Nakhalah had fled the country, fearing assassination by Israel. The arrests came weeks after a US official handed Syria's foreign minister eight demands during a conference in Brussels. One month on, killings persist in Syria's Alawi heartlands Read More » Natasha Franceschi, US deputy assistant secretary for the Levant and Syria, gave the list to Asaad al-Shibani on 18 March, according to multiple media reports. According to news outlet Al Majalla, the US demanded that Syria's interim administration publicly ban all Palestinian armed and political activities, and deport members of these groups to 'ease Israeli concerns'. Other demands include allowing US counterterrorism operations inside Syria against those deemed to be a threat, designating Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation and the formation of a unified Syrian army with no foreign fighters in key command roles. Since the fall of Assad, the Israeli army has carried out regular air raids and ground incursions into Syria, sometimes wounding and killing residents in the south. Israeli officials have frequently threatened Syria's new rulers, calling for a demilitarisation of the country's south and claiming the new authorities are a threat to the Druze minority. Syrians across the country, including Druze in the south, have firmly rejected Israel's statements and military actions.
