The Islamic Jihad maintained obscurity for most of the day regarding reports of a possible ceasefire in the round of escalation against Israel. The members of the organization hastened to emphasize that "the territory will speak, and there is no agreement yet", but at the same time they confirmed that talks are underway at the highest levels under Egyptian auspices regarding reaching a truce.
The IDF attacked two military outposts of the GAP terrorist organization // Photo: IDF spokesperson
In the background of the accelerated ceasefire talks, Jihad made demands to Egypt this evening and insisted on including them in the emerging understandings.
In addition to the demand to stop the wave of arrests in northern Samaria and to release Sheikh Bassam Saadi, and the administrative detainee on hunger strike, Khalil Awawada, Jihad also tried to get a guarantee from Egypt that Israel would stop the assassinations of the organization's members in Gaza.
At the end of two and a half days of fighting, it seems that the Jihad is far from reaping praise for its skills and operational competence.
His abilities and his motivation should not be underestimated, but his conduct in the field, whether due to the morale blow he suffered or the organizational void that was created, has so far been portrayed as amateurish and sloppy.
Palestinian commentators who were hosted by the media in Gaza today twisted in vague phrases when they were asked about the achievements of the Jihad in the current campaign.
The organization heard the criticism, and sought an "appropriate response" with a larger seal than the measured launches that have been so far, both to avenge the death of the senior commander Khaled Mansour who was killed on Saturday, and in a desperate attempt to save the damaged image.
In a half-justified message, Abu Hamza, the spokesman for the military branch, tried to correct the impression when he threatened to launch missiles at wider ranges.
This happened later in the evening with a massive volley of rockets fired into Beer Sheva and the Gush Dan area.
The jihad suffered a moral, operational, and organizational blow, lost commanders, and paid with its prestige.
But it is still too early to eulogize him.
Despite the damage caused to him, he will not necessarily stop being the "bad boy" in the neighborhood of Gaza.
The differentiation in this round between the two Palestinian organizations in the Gaza Strip resulted in the situation where Jihad is leading the campaign as if it were the patron, while there is a sovereign in Gaza, in what expresses a great challenge to Hamas.
This actually illustrates the importance and power that Islamic Jihad has in the Palestinian system in Gaza.
Militarily he is inferior to Hamas, he has no sympathy in public opinion either, but he functions as an actor who cannot be ignored, and Hamas will probably have to continue to reckon with him.
In the streets of the Gaza Strip they didn't exactly understand why Gaza was at "war" again.
Many residents found it difficult to explain even to themselves how it happened that Jihad, an organization that is disconnected from the people and is not popular in Gaza, leads them to a new and dangerous adventure.
Unlike previous rounds in which Hamas led the campaign and won, at least in the first stages, an expression of solidarity from the Palestinian public, in this round it is difficult to find voices of support for the actions of the second largest organization in the Gaza Strip.
Where Hamas led the campaign and won, at least in the first stages, an expression of solidarity from the Palestinian public, in this round it is difficult to find voices of support for the actions of the second largest organization in the Gaza Strip.
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