Tawhid al-Jihad (Gaza Strip)
Jahafil Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad fi Filastin (The Armies for Monotheism and Jihad in the Palestinian territories) is a Islamist militant group in Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula and is a division of Al-Qaeda in Gaza. The founding of the group was made public on the 6th of November 2008, with the announcers pledging allegiance to Al-Qaeda after being messaged by Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.[2]
| Jahafil Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad fi Filastin | |
|---|---|
(Arabic: جحافل التوحيد والجهاد في فلسطين) Participant in the Gaza–Israel conflict andthe Global War on Terrorism | |
 The Shahada flag commonly used by al-Qaeda. | |
| Active | 6 November 2008 – present |
| Ideology | Salafist jihadism Wahhabism |
| Leader | Abu Walid al-Maqdisi (5 February 2011-13 October 2012)[1] |
| Area of operations | Gaza Strip, and little in the Sinai |
| Part of | |
| Allies | |
| Opponent(s) |  United States Armed Forces Israel Hamas |
| Battles and war(s) | Gaza–Israel conflict and the Global War on Terrorism |
Religious ruling allowing killing of civilians
On the 5th of February 2011, the commander of a group that called itself Jama'at Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad, Abu al-Walid al-Maqdisi posted a religious ruling allowing the killing of Jews and Christians in attacks like 9/11 because they are fighters who are not innocent. The religious ruling also said that it is haram to not do such attacks out of fear of killing other Muslims, as it would lead to stopping jihad.[3] He was arrested by Hamas police on the 2nd of March 2011 but was released in August of 2012 but was killed 2 months after he was released by the Israel Defense Forces.[4]
References
- ↑ "Image Praising Abu al-Walid al-Maqdisi". Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ↑ New Gaza Organization Vows Loyalty to Al-Qaeda, MEMRI 10-11-2008
- ↑ Leader of Palestinian Salafi-Jihadi Group: It Is Permissible to Kill Jewish and Christian Civilians In Jihad, Since They Are 'Fundamentally Not Innocent', MEMRI 13-02-2011
- ↑ "Israeli Airstrike Kills 2 Militants in Gaza". The New York Times. 14 October 2012.