Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the West Bank published a statement on December 1, outlining the group’s activities against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in recent weeks. The statement follows continued West Bank violence and activity by terrorist groups in the territory over the last two months.
The comments, distributed via the group’s official Telegram channel, present PIJ’s narrative of a sustained confrontation with the IDF during ongoing counterterrorism operations.
According to an unidentified commander, Israel has stepped up targeted killings of PIJ operatives in recent weeks, particularly in Tubas, Jenin, and the northern West Bank, to “break the fighting spirit” of the organization’s cells. The commander acknowledged the deaths of several senior fighters but claimed that the losses have not diminished PIJ’s operational capability.
A tally compiled by FDD’s Long War Journal demonstrates that PIJ identified nine Palestinians killed by the IDF in separate incidents in November as members of the group. The PIJ claimed Ziyad Jaas, Ahmed Nasharti, Abdul al Alaqameh, Abdulrahman Darawsheh, Younes Ishtiya, Sultan al Aziz, Abd al Raouf Ishtayeh, Yousef Asaasa, and Al Muntasir Abdullah as fighters in its ranks.
The unidentified PIJ commander also highlighted the group’s activity in Hebron and Nablus, where its Beit Ummar unit and Nablus Battalion reportedly conducted pre-planned ambushes using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to disrupt IDF movements. PIJ asserted that the attacks wounded several Israeli soldiers, a claim the IDF has not confirmed. The majority of PIJ’s claimed attacks against Israeli troops in the West Bank over the last two months were not supported by evidence.
Despite the lack of evidence in its previous statements, PIJ published a propaganda video on December 1 demonstrating fighters manufacturing IEDs used to target IDF troops. While FDD’s Long War Journal could not verify when the video was recorded, the footage appears to be a new publication.
On November 26, the IDF, along with Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency and Israel Border Police, launched a renewed counterterrorism operation in the northern West Bank, concentrating primarily on Tubas, the Al Faraa refugee camp, Tammun, and surrounding areas long associated with PIJ and Hamas activity.
Israeli forces have detained suspects and uncovered weapons and surveillance sites in the operation. The campaign follows a surge in attacks and attempted attacks across the West Bank in recent weeks, reinforcing Israeli assessments and observations made by Long War Journal that terrorist groups are attempting to reconstitute operational capabilities in the northern part of the territory.
