Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade
Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade | |
---|---|
Participant in the Gaza–Israel conflict | |
| |
Active | 2 April 2015–Present |
Ideology | Salafi jihadism[1][2] |
Leaders |
Under the principle leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (2015–Present)
|
Headquarters | East Jerusalem |
Area of operations | |
Strength | 200[3] (backed by 2000+ supporters[4]) |
Part of | Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant |
Originated as |
Al-Qaeda (then ISIL in 2014)
|
Became | Sheikh Omar Hadid brigade |
Allies |
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Al-Qaeda (ISIL-inspired) Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine (Only in rocket attacks on Israel) |
Opponents | Hamas |
The Islamist militant group "Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade"(الشيخ عمر حديد in Arabic), previously known (although still referred to) as a brigade of "Ansar Bait al-Maqdis" (a group more recently calling itself "Al Dalwa Al-Islamia", as of late 2014) is a known affiliate of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, active in the Palestinian Territories.[5] Its aims have consistently matched those of the Islamic State, in that the group aims to establish the Levant caliphate, otherwise known as "al-Sham", with the ultimate aim of the organization being the destruction of the State of Palestine,[6][7] ensued by the destruction of the State of Israel[8][9] and the expulsion and elimination of all Jewish inhabitants[10][11] and other ethno-religious 'infidels',[12] such as the Druze, Bahá'í, Shia and Christian populations, living within the area.[13][14][15][16]
The group's official faction leader wasn't known until Hamas Police raided the home of Yunis Hunnar on June 2, 2015,[17][18] who was accused of leading the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade and was shot dead when resisting arrest.[19] The present faction leader is currently unknown.
The Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade in Palestine
Unlike most other Palestinian Islamist groups, the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade does not believe in any sort of Palestinian nationalism, since its affiliation to ISIL advocates the rule of caliphate rather than nationality.[20] The socio-political and geopolitical ideology of the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade can hence be defined as Pan-Islamist rather than Pan-Nationalist (in the patriotic sense), since it works towards (see Pan-Islamism Wikipedia page for more details):
"...a form of religious nationalism [that] differentiates itself from other pan-nationalistic ideologies, for example Pan-Arabism, by excluding culture and ethnicity as primary factors towards unification..."
Emergence
The Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade is a small Islamist and Salafist militant group based in the West Bank of Palestine,[21] which was first taken note of during the Syrian Civil War. The war in Syria started with rebel factions, that ultimately split off into the FSA and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), an organization that itself originated from AQI, a branch of Al-Qaeda. Like ISIL, the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade also evolved from a former Al-Qaeda branch, which called itself the "Army of Islam", possibly out of inspiration. It's affiliation to ISIL was only claimed by the group alone, and was hereby unofficial, until ISIL eventually declared on July 9, 2014 that they were "operating in Gaza". At the time, the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade was not yet formed as a brigade or group, which is why it had often (incorrectly) been 'blurred out' by many as part of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine.[22]
Its emergence as a group followed dozens of arrests carried out by the ruling political and militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in a crack down by Hamas on possible Islamic State affiliate groups and Jihadists in the area. The crack down began in early 2015, but heavily intensified during the months of April and May that year.[23]
However, the crackdown is not regarded as a prime reason for the recent spike in Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade members. Earlier in 2015, during the Battle of Yarmouk Camp in Syria, various Hamas-linked Palestinian rebel factions were attacked by ISIL, and over 2000 Palestinian refugees under the protection of these factions were forced to flee the area.[24] This may consequentially have had an influence on various Islamists in Palestine, who no longer believed in Hamas' legitimate authority[25] due to its defeat in Yarmouk.[26]
Moreover, the ISIL offensive in Yarmouk was particularly humiliating for Hamas, when a senior Hamas official, Sheikh Abu Salah Taha, was reportedly beheaded by the ISIL militants.[27][28] It is thought that the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade, which was then known in the general media as "Islamic State in Gaza",[29] took advantage of these events to boost its own agenda in Palestine.
Organization
Structure, Affiliation and Military
The Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade said in a statement, released in aftermath of the Hamas crackdown in May 2015, that "In the light of Hamas’ new crackdown, we renew our loyalty to ISIS Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and call on him to strengthen his influence and to launch a campaign in Palestine," emphasising its affiliation to ISIL.[30]
The group is deemed a direct affiliate of the Ansar Bait al-Maqdis organization (which reportedly changed its name to "Al Dalwa Al-Islamia" following its pledge of allegiance to IS in November 2014,[31][32] although is still commonly referred and often self-proclaimed as its former name[33]), a Jihadist group based in Egypt's Sinai peninsula,[34] although it was previously thought that clashes between Syrian ISIL and Ansar Bait al-Maqdis militants during the Battle of Yarmouk Camp, that resulted in the death of 15 Ansar Bait al-Maqdis fighters, might have brought the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade to distance itself from its latter affiliate.[35] This was later proven to be incorrect on June 2, 2015, when new evidence showed that one of Ansar Bait al-Maqdis' brigades was in fact the self-proclaimed Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade. On June 2, Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, the Sinai-based Jihadist and Salafist group, claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on central Israel (from Gaza) that had been carried out the previous week,[36] and also claimed responsibility for the assassination of Siam (see later), on behalf of their 'foothold' group in Gaza, which they described as their "Sheikh Omar Hadid brigade".[37] This new development provided the conclusive evidence that the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade was in fact much more strongly affiliated to Ansar Bait al-Maqdis than previously thought, and that the brigade the group described as the "Sheikh Omar Hadid" was in fact another name for the self-proclaimed "Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade". This suggested that the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade could in fact have individualised itself more in recent months from the Ansar Bait al-Maqdis group, possibly under the influence of Ansar Bait al-Maqdis other ally, ISIL (relations between the groups were reaffirmed once again following the conflict at Yarmouk), becoming a separate group of its own rather than remaining as one of the former's brigades.[38] This information itself suggests the possibility of a Syria-Gaza-Sinai axis amongst the three groups (being; ISIL, Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade and Ansar Bait al-Maqdis), which would explain the sudden increase in arms that the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade claimed to have obtained in recent months.
The Egyptian group from which the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade first originated from, Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, appears to have split-off into another recently individualised group, formerly known as "Ajnad Misr"[39] (Soldiers of Egypt) and presently known as "Sinai Province" or "Wilayat Sinai" (although still often referred to by the former), a Sinai-based group. The group's former leader Humam Muhammed pledged full allegiance to ISIL in late 2014, thereby founding the new Ajnad Misr-originated Salafist group Sinai Province (although often rather confusingly referred to by the general Western media as "ISIS in Gaza"[40](also[41][42])), a group presently believed to be the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade's arms-trade affiliate in the Sinai Peninsula. Following the leader's assassination by Egyptian police forces on April 5, 2015,[43] the group has become increasingly disbanded. Despite this, it has been gaining an increasing presence in the Gaza Strip, where members are thought to be working closely by the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade as previously mentioned. The Egyptian group is known to display identical ideologies to those the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade i.e. the targeting of national security forces[44] (Hamas and Fatah officials in the case of the ASheikh Omar Hadid Brigade, and the Egyptian Armed Forces in the case of Sinai Province), followed by the establishment of the al-Sham caliphate (see Ajnad Misr Wikipedia page for more details). Both groups are amongst the many small, yet rapidly growing Gaza-Egyptian ISIL-affiliated groups,[45] which some experts believe could eventually combine forces in the event of an Islamic State insurgency in the area, this possibly resulting in a cross-border civil war.[46] However, due to Egyptian reinforcements along the Gazan border during June 2015, others have suggested that this wouldn't be possible, at least during the near future.[47]
Designation as a Terrorist Organization
Taking into account the fact that the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade group had formerly been an active brigade of the Ansar Bait al-Maqdis group, as "Sheikh Omar Hadid", all international terrorist designations given to Ansar Bait al-Maqdis also apply to the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade, these having been given by; Egypt,[48] the United Arab Emirates,[49] the United Kingdom,[50] and the United States of America[51] (see Ansar Bait al-Maqdis for more details).
As of the official formation of the currently-known "Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade group" in early April 2015, and currently now known to be a confirmed affiliate group of ISIL, all international terrorist designations given to ISIL also apply to the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade, these having been given by; the United Nations,[52][53][54] the European Union,[55] the United Kingdom,[56] the United States of America,[57] Australia,[58] Canada,[59] Turkey,[60][61] Saudi Arabia,[62] Indonesia,[63] the United Arab Emirates,[64] Malaysia,[65] Egypt,[66][67] India,[68][69] Russia,[70] Kyrgyzstan,[71] and Syria[72] (see Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant for more details).
The Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade, also thought to have had partially originated from or later morphed with an older ISIL-linked group, that called itself "The Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem",[73] was specifically designated a terrorist organisation by the United States of America, under this particular banner on August 19, 2014.[74][75]
Activities
Involvement in Palestinian Civil Conflicts
Date of activity | Type | Success | Summary |
---|---|---|---|
May 8, 2015 | Mortar attack | Failed | A group calling itself "Supporters of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in Jerusalem" launched a mortar attack on a Hamas base, close to Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.[76] The group is presently thought to be the same group as the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade, merely proclaiming itself under a different banner. |
May 31, 2015 | Car-bomb attack | Successful | The Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade carried out its first official attack on a high ranking Hamas commander, in a car bomb attack in Gaza. The Hamas commander, Saber Siam, was killed instantly by the blast. Following the event, ISIL further emphasised its affiliation to the group, in a message to Hamas, the group's principle enemy (before Israel), which warned them of what was to come should they fail to stop the crack down. According to the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade, Siam was killed because he was "a partner in a declared war against religion and against Muslims, working for the heretical government in Gaza." ISIL was quick to add on to these comments, by warning Hamas to immediately "end its war against religion in Gaza" or "face the consequences".[77][78] |
June 26—8, 2015 | Leaflet threats | Successful | One June 26, under the banner of "Islamic State in Palestine",[79] the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade distributed leaflets around East Jerusalem, containing threats towards Christians living in the West Bank. According to the Jewish Press, the leaflets contained threats "to kill all the Christian-Arabs living there [in East Jerusalem]", and "explicit threats to kill the Christians [should they fail to] leave Eastern Jerusalem by the end of Ramadan".[80] Over the weekend of 27—8, the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade made further threats to local Arab Christians, and called upon like-minded zealots to identify "those who collaborate with the Zionists" and provide their addresses. These later leaflets were signed "The Islamic State – Emirate of Bayt al-Maqdis". These threats were deemed as a substantial success for the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade, as it was reported in interviews that local Arab Christians felt "fearful for their lives and don’t want to go to the police because they feel that the police won’t be responsive" in the wake of the threats.[81] |
Involvement in Israeli-Palestinian Conflicts
Date of activity | Type | Success | Summary |
---|---|---|---|
June 2—7, 2015 | Rocket attacks | Partly successful | Following the assassination of the group's local leader Yunis Hunnar on June 2, the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade claimed responsibility (under the banner of the "Omar Brigades") for three separate rocket attacks on Israel (from Gaza), in an attempt likely aimed towards regaining its prior legitimacy. Although the rockets failed to cause any injury or structural damage, they prompted swift retaliatory responses from the Israeli Air Force ((IAF), during which strategic Salafi and Hamas-controlled military sites were targeted by Israeli air-strikes.[82] |
June 11, 2015 | Rocket attack | Failed | Shortly after the June 2—7 attacks, the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade tried launching another rocket attack on Israel, although this time the rocket failed to reach its target and exploded in Gaza instead. Despite the fact that the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade later claimed responsibility for the attack, Israeli intelligence accused Islamic Jihad as responsible instead. No injuries or structural damage was reported.[83] |
Notes
The Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade is also known as; "Army of the Islamic State in Palestine" | "Islamic State in Gaza" | "Supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in Jerusalem" | "Supporters of the Islamic State" | "Supporters of the Islamic State in Jerusalem" | "Islamic State in Palestine" | "Islamic State in Jerusalem" | "Supporters of the Al-Sham Caliphate" | "Sheikh Omar Hadid brigade" (former official name)
References
- ↑ "Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade". TRAC. TRAC. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
- ↑ "New Salafi Jihadi Group in Gaza: The Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade". Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
- ↑ "Palestinian Salafists pose dangerous new problem for Hamas". Guardian: The conflict with the militant Salafists – totalling a few hundred at most – has led to a Hamas crackdown and, in reprisal, three rockets fired by the Salafists at Israel. June 10, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ Moore, Jack (September 4, 2014). "Israel: 'Thousands' of Isis Supporters Rally at Temple Mount in Jerusalem". IBTimes: A gathering of thousands of Isis (now known as the Daesh) supporters has taken place at Jerusalem's Temple Mount, according to local Israeli media. The report by the Israeli television station Channel 10 (to be broadcast next week) added the gathering further demonstrated the terror group's sights were firmly focused on Israel as a future target. Retrieved June 12, 2015. line feed character in
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at position 157 (help) - ↑ "ISIS: We Are Operating in Gaza". Vocative: The extremist terror organization is establishing a toehold inside Gaza, despite Hamas' claims to the contrary. June 9, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ "Why ISIS is Israel's key ally in stopping the creation of a Palestinian state". StopWar: What is Israel's real goal in tarring all Palestinians as bloodthirsty Islamic extremists by equating resistance to Israeli occupation to ISIS?. September 29, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ "ISIS caught on video burning the Palestinian Flag". CounterCurrentNews: The so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), was caught on video burning what appears to be the Palestinian flag. August 26, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ West, Allen (June 24, 2014). "ISIS plans to destroy "Zionist regime" in Israel – with nukes if necessary". One thing about the advance of ISIS is the deathly silence from our best ally in the Middle East, Israel. What concerns me is that the U.S. seems to believe time is on our side relating to ISIS – and we’re not taking this sophisticated threat seriously. I pray Israel is. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ Silverman, Anav (August 15, 2014). "ISIS in Gaza has Israel on watch". BreakingIsraelNews: According to a recent Gatestone Institute publication, the presence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has begun to grow in the Gaza Strip, with both the PA and Israel convinced that followers of ISIS in Gaza have been responsible for some of the rocket attacks on Israel. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ Abu-Toameh, Khaled (July 7, 2014). "ISIS already in Gaza Strip". BreakingIsraelNews: Last month, Hamas sent its policemen and militias to disperse a rally organized by ISIS followers in the Gaza Strip to celebrate the recent "military victories" of the terrorist group in Iraq. Hamas prevented local journalists from covering the event as part of its attempt to deny the existence of ISIS in the Gaza Strip. At the rally, attended by dozens of Islamists, the crowd chanted, "Khaybar, Khyabar, Ya Yahud, Jaish Mohamed Saya’ud!" ("O Jews, Mohamed’s army will return"). This is a battle cry that many Islamists like to chant to remind the Jews of the story of the battle fought in 629 CE by the Prophet Mohamed against the Jews of Khaybar, an oasis in north-western Arabia. The battle resulted in the killing of many Jews, and their women and children were taken as slaves. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ Baskin, Gregory (August 30, 2014). "Gaza Strip: ISIS Intent on Palestine and Murder of Jews". LibertyVoice (Guardian): The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which is the organization that has quickly gained control of vast areas of Syria and Iraq using no-holds-barred tactics such as beheadings, kidnappings, and bombings, has now declared that one of its goals is "to fight the barbaric Jews and kill those of them hiding behind the gharqad trees, the trees of the Jews". Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ Benari, Elad (July 8, 2014). "ISIS: Fighting 'Infidels' Takes Precedence Over Fighting Israel". ArutzSheva7: ISIS spokesman says the group first has to deal with fellow Muslims it views as infidels before it attacks Israel. According to Israel’s Channel 2 News, an ISIS spokesman said Monday on Twitter, in response to questions about the organization’s intentions with regards to Israel, that ISIS first has to deal with "Muslims who have become infidels". Retrieved June 12, 2015. line feed character in
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at position 128 (help) - ↑ Lamb, Franklin (June 23, 2014). "Will ISIS Create al-Sham Caliphate and Liberate Palestine?". Foreign Policy Journal. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
Ein el Helwe Palestinian camp, LEBANON — One need not be prescient to understand the unfolding "Jihadi Spring" is fueling the plans and perhaps destiny of ascendant Islamists in this region with the increasing help of in-country nationalists, including remnants of the Iraqi Baath Party
- ↑ Lamb, Franklin (June 21, 2014). "Article: Will ISIS Create al-Sham Caliphate & Liberate Palestine?". MWCNews: One need not be prescient to understand the unfolding "Jihadi Spring" is fueling the plans and perhaps destiny of ascendant Islamists in this region with the increasing help of in-country nationalists, including remnants of the Iraqi Baath Party. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ Dyer, J.E (June 30, 2014). "Newly declared caliphate: Why it’s ‘ISIS’ (not ISIL) – ‘Iraq and al-Sham’ (not Syria)". LibertyUnyielding: Many news outlets have Westernized the name of the group which has just declared a "caliphate" in the territory its name describes. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ "(Wall Street Journal) - The Short Answer: What Is Islamic State?". WSJ: A lightning offensive by the Sunni group Islamic State, previously known as ISIS, sparked the biggest crisis Iraq has faced since it plunged into sectarian violence following the U.S.-led invasion of the country in 2003. Here’s a look at the group at the center of the crisis. June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ Blade, Elizabeth (June 9, 2015). "Worse Than Hamas? ISIS in Gaza". IsraelToday: Earlier this month Hamas "police" stormed the Gaza home of Yunis Hunnar, believed to be a member of a Salafi group linked to ISIS. A Hamas spokesman later said Hunnar had carried out attacks against the ruling group in May. Nor was it the first time Hamas’ rule had been challenged by Islamists more radical than itself. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- ↑ "After Security Services Killed a Man While Attempting to Arrest Him, PCHR Calls Upon Attorney General in Gaza to Investigate the Incident and Publish Results". PCHR: On Tuesday 02 June 2015, security Services in the Gaza Strip killed Yunis Sa'id al-Hunnar while attempting to arrest him from his house in Shaikh Redwan neighborhood in Gaza City. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) is gravely concerned over this incident, and calls upon the Attorney General to investigate it, find out why security services opened fire, verify that security services exhausted all the necessary measures before using live ammunition that resulted in the killing of al-Hunnar and publish the results of the investigation. June 2, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- ↑ Yashar, Ari (June 2, 2015). "Hamas Kills Local ISIS Leader in Gaza Shootout". ArutzSheva7: Round 1? Salafist leader killed after violently resisting arrest for 'illegal activities,' as ISIS threat looks likely to come to fruition. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ Allmeling, Anne (July 28, 2014). "ISIS threatening to redraw Mideast borders". DWNews: "The group's goal is to establish their cross-boundary zone, beginning in Syria and Iraq," said Falko Walde of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Amman, Jordan. And that's only an intermediary step, he added - ISIS wants to reach other states in the region, including Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and even Cyprus and parts of southern Turkey. "The group wants to create a state rooted in its conceptions of politics and society," Walde said. In recent months, the Islamists have already taken control of significant parts of Syria and Iraq, imposing draconian laws - including arbitrary executions - wherever they rule. In the Iraqi city of Mosul, women face severe penalties if they fail to wear a full veil in public. The group's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, announced the establishment of a caliphate in Mosul at the end of June. Al-Baghdadi, who was born in Iraq, views himself as a successor to the prophet Mohammed, claims to rule over all Muslims and has taken up the old idea of an Islamic empire. Retrieved June 11, 2015. line feed character in
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at position 377 (help) - ↑ Bar'el, Zvi (June 14, 2014). "Has ISIS infiltrated the West Bank?". Haaretz: A pamphlet supposedly issued by the Islamist State in Iraq and Syria and circulated around Hebron, claiming responsibility for the kidnapping of three Israelis in the West Bank, raises some doubts. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Islamic Jihad fighters parade after Gaza war". EnglishAlarabiya (AFP): Islamic Jihad and fighters from Hamas, the de facto rulers of Gaza, as well as other Palestinian militants fired a total of more than 4,500 rockets at the Jewish state during the conflict, which erupted on July 8. August 29, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ Reed, John (June 1, 2015). "Hamas seeks to stamp out ISIS in Gaza". FinancialTimes: Hamas seeks to stamp out ISIS in Gaza. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ "2,000 civilians evacuated from Syria's Yarmouk". DW: After the Islamic State extremists have seized the majority of Yarmouk, around 2,000 people have been evacuated from the camp. Meanwhile, the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra front has claimed neutrality in the battle. April 5, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ Smolar, Piotr (June 16, 2015). "ISIS And Corruption Undermine Hamas Rule In Gaza". WorldCrunch: Hamas, the Islamist group that governs Gaza, is now facing a challenge from Islamic State insurgents and growing disenchantment with its leadership. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
- ↑ Perring, Rebecca (June 1, 2015). "ISIS turns on Hamas in Gaza over its crackdown on extremists". Express: The Islamist extremists warned Hamas to "end its war against religion" on the Israeli border of Gaza or "face the consequences". Hamas, an Islamic militant group that has ruled Gaza since 2007, sees more radical groups as a threat. Hamas launched a crackdown on the Islamist extremists following a series of unclaimed bombings. It has arrested dozens of ISIS supporters in recent weeks, including Imams, following the terror group's takeover of the Yarmouk Palestine refugee camp near Damascus. Retrieved June 12, 2015. line feed character in
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at position 138 (help) - ↑ Soffer, Ari (April 5, 2015). "Report: ISIS Beheads Senior Hamas Operative in Syria". ArutzSheva7: Sheikh Abu Salah Taha believed to be among scores of Palestinians executed in Yarmouk; image of severed head posted online. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ E.Buxbaum, Robert (May 7, 2015). "Hamas head deposed, no peace in the middle east". REBResearch: Just about one month ago, the head of the head of Hamas in Syria was removed from his position atop Sheikh Abu Salah Taha’s shoulders. ISIS gave the Sheikh the metaphorical 72 virgins of severance, and his head was given a new post, a wooden pole. Though the fighting has died down since, as it were, we seem no closer to peace. As head of Hamas, Sheik Taha killed many, and ISIS has killed many more. And now, Hamas has pledged Jihad against ISIS, It’s likely ISIS heads will roll, as surviving Hamas members have joined Assad, their murderous enemy of just a few months previous. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Hamas cracks down on the "Islamic State in Gaza"". Stratfor: Hamas will work to quell local jihadist activity to maintain its political prominence and re-engage with regional powers. April 20, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ Silva, Christina (June 2, 2015). "Islamic State Attacks Israel: ISIS Supporters Threaten Hamas, Take Credit For Launching Rocket From Gaza". IBTimes: Islamic State group supporters in Gaza have given ruling Hamas leaders a 48-hour deadline to stop a crackdown on them. The militants also claimed responsibility for a rocket fired at Israel from Gaza last week. The rocket landed near Gan Yavne in southern Israel, Israeli military officials said. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ Levy, Rachael (July 1, 2014). "Egyptian group claims it killed the Three Israeli Teens". Vocative: It's the same organization that also recently pledged allegiance to ISIS. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ "Egypt attack: Profile of Sinai Province militant group". BBCNews: Sinai Province is a militant group that has put its name to a string of deadly attacks in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, and has pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS). January 30, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ Rojas, Nicole (June 10, 2015). "Isis in Egypt: Jihadis force prisoner accused of being Israeli spy to dig his own grave before shooting him". IBTimes: The terror cell, Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, reportedly defected from al-Qaeda in November 2014 and instead pledged allegiance to Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The terrorist group also operates in Gaza Strip, according to the Daily Mail. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ Xenakis, John J (June 2, 2015). "World View: Hamas and ISIS turn on each other in the Gaza Strip". BreitBart: A Gaza Strip group claiming to be linked to the Islamic State (IS or ISIS or ISIL or Daesh) has given Hamas, the governing authority of the Gaza Strip, a 48-hour deadline to stop cracking down on the members of the group. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ Fadel, Leith (April 6, 2015). "Complete Report from the Yarmouk Camp; Palestinian Resistance on the Offensive". TheArabSource: Day five of the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham’s (ISIS) offensive at the Al-Yarmouk Camp produced similar results to the previous days, as the latter gained more ground in the central part of the district after fierce clashes with the Islamist group "Aknef Beit Al-Maqdis" on Sunday. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ Klein, Aaron (June 2, 2015). "Video: ISIS supporters launch rocket attack on Israel". WND: Jihadists tied to caliphate challenging Hamas rule in Gaza. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ Klein, Aaron (June 2, 2015). "ISIS issues dire warning to Israel". WND: Supporters have claimed responsibility for rocket attack. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ↑ Levi, Yaakov (June 4, 2015). "ISIS-Affiliated Group: "More Rocket Attacks on Israel Coming"". ArutzSheva7: The Islamic State linked group that fired rockets at southern Israel on Wednesday says it will continue "attacking the Jews". Retrieved June 5, 2015.
- ↑ Barnett, David (February 2, 2014). "Ajnad Misr, Egypt's latest jihadist group". TLWJ: In a statement released on Jan. 23, a group calling itself Ajnad Misr (Soldiers of Egypt) said it was launching a campaign to target "criminal" elements of Egypt’s current regime. The purported jihadist group, which operates Facebook and Twitter pages, the following day claimed responsibility for attacks in Cairo that targeted security forces. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
- ↑ "IS claims responsibility for Gaza’s French Cultural Centre blast, reports". MEE: Gaza authorities had originally blamed the blast on 'faulty fuel tanks'. October 8, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
- ↑ Yahya R. Kamalipour, ed. (1998). Cultural diversity and the US media. Albany: State Univ. of New York Press. ISBN 0791439291.
- ↑ Guang Pan (December 1997). "China's Success in the Middle East". Middle East Quarterly 4 (4): 35–40. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
- ↑ "Founder of Islamist militant group Ajnad Misr killed: Police spokesman". Hamam Mohamed, the founder of Ajnad Misr, was also a former leading figure in the group now know as Sinai Province, that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2014.
- ↑ Fick, Maggie (June 30, 2014). "Two police officers killed in bomb blasts near Cairo palace". Reuters: Two Egyptian policemen were killed on Monday trying to defuse bombs planted near Cairo's presidential palace by militants days before the anniversary of the army overthrow of an elected Islamist president. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
- ↑ Eisenkot, Gadi (June 16, 2015). "Groups with ties to ISIS are growing in Gaza". TheJerusalemPost: The chief of staff added that terrorists connected to Islamic State are growing stronger in Sinai and act in cooperation with terrorist organizations in Gaza. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
- ↑ Klein, Aaron (March 10, 2015). "WND Exclusive: Egypt faces 'existential threat' from ISIS". WND: Sisi calling for increased U.S. military aid in fight that could change Middle East. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
- ↑ Mohamed, Yusri (June 22, 2015). "Egypt army digs trench along Gaza border to prevent smuggling". TheDailyStar (Lebanon): The Egyptian army is digging a trench in northern Sinai along the border with Gaza in an effort to prevent smuggling, security sources said Monday, as the government steps up activities to prevent militant attacks that often target security forces. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
- ↑ Al-Youm, Al-Masry (April 14, 2014). "Egyptian court says Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis a terrorist organization". EgyptIndependent: Cairo Court of Urgent Matters on Monday ruled that the Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis group is a terrorist organization. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
- ↑ "UAE cabinet endorses new list of terrorist groups". KUNA: ABU DHABI, Nov 15 (KUNA) -- The United Arab Emirates cabinet endorsed Saturday a new list of terrorist groups, including 83 organizations from the across the globe. In a press statement carried by the official WAM news agency, the cabinet said the move comes in application of the Federal counter-terrorism law No. 7 of 2014. November 15, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
- ↑ "UK government Proscribed Terrorist Organisations" (PDF). UKGovernment: List of proscribed international terrorist groups: • 67 international terrorist organisations are proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 • 14 organisations in Northern Ireland that were proscribed under previous legislation. April 1, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2015. line feed character in
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at position 65 (help) - ↑ Masr, Mada (April 9, 2014). "Update: Egypt welcomes US terror label for Ansar Beit al-Maqdes". MadaMasr: Spokesperson for Egypt’s Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Badr Abdel Atty, said on Thursday that Egypt welcomes Washington's declaration of Ansar Beit al-Maqdes as a terrorist group and described it as a "step in the right direction". Retrieved June 5, 2015.
- ↑ "Al-Qaida Sanctions List". UN - report. United Nations. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "The Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee - 1267". UN - report. United Nations. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Amends Entry". UN - report. United Nations. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ Wahlisch, Martin (2010). "EU Terrorist Listing - An Overview about Listing and Delisting Procedures" (PDF). BerghofFoundation: Overview of EU Listing and Delisting Procedures. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Proscribed Terrorist Organisations, pp.13-15" (PDF). UKGovernment-HomeOffice-Proscribed Terrorist Organisations. Home Office. June 20, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Foreign Terrorist Organizations". USGovernment-DepartmentofState-Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Bureau of Counterterrorism. United States Department of State. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Listed terrorist organisations". Australian National Security. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Currently listed entities". Public Safety Canada. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ Kaplan, Hilal (September 3, 2014). "Charging Turkey for ISIS". Daily Sabah. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ Mahcupyan, Etyen (September 20, 2014). "ISIS, Turkey and the US". Daily Sabah. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Saudi Arabia designates Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group". Reuters. March 7, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "BNPT Declares ISIS a Terrorist Organization". Tempo. August 2, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "List of terror groups published by United Arab Emirates". GulfNews: List of terror groups published by the United Arab Emirates. GulfNews. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Malaysia designates ISIS as terrorist group, vows tough action: Report". The Straits Times. September 25, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Court affirms ISIS' 'terrorist group' designation - Daily News Egypt". DailyNewsEgypt: Court affirms ISIS' 'terrorist group' designation (2014). November 30, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Egypt brands jihadist ISIL a 'terrorist group'". Hürriyet Daily News. November 30, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Banned Organisations". MHA-India. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Indian government bans Islamic State terror organisation". TheHindu (Press Trust of India). Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Russia calls on all states to put Islamic State, Jabhat al-Nusra on terrorist lists". TASS. Russian News Agency "TASS". Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ Paraszczuk, Joanna. "Kyrgyzstan Bans IS, Designates It As Terror Group". rferl.com. Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ Manal. "Syria condemns terrorist acts in Iraq, expresses solidarity with Iraqi government, army and people". sana.sy. Syrian State Media. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
- ↑ al-Ghoul, Asmaa (February 27, 2014). "Gaza Salafists pledge allegiance to ISIS". Al-Monitor: GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — It seems Ayman al-Zawahri’s statement on Jan. 22 disavowing Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) had very little impact on the Salafist jihadist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip. The most prominent among those organizations, the Mujahedeen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem, quickly issued a statement on Feb. 2, asserting that they were "committed to helping ISIS and bolstering its ranks." The statement added that the infighting taking place in Syria was due to "an unfair view toward ISIS and its emir, the Prince of Believers Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi". Retrieved June 14, 2015.
- ↑ Lynch, Dennis (August 19, 2014). "Terrorism: What Is The Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem?". IBTimes: The U.S. State Department added a Mideast group to its terrorist list Tuesday, officially designating the anti-Israel, jihadist Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The group is linked to rocket attacks against Israel and supports the Islamic State (aka ISIS), the U.S. says. The State Department defines the MSC as "an umbrella group composed of several jihadist terrorist sub-groups based in Gaza that has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on Israel since the group’s founding in 2012". Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ "Terrorist Designation of the Mujahidin Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem (MSC)". U.S Department of State. Office of the Spokesperson. August 19, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
- ↑ "ISIS-linked group claims responsibility for attack on Hamas base in Gaza". JPost: Tension between Hamas and Islamic State continues to mount in the Gaza Strip. May 8, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
- ↑ Levi, Yaakov (May 31, 2015). "ISIS Threatens to Destroy 'Heretical Hamas'". ArutzSheva7: A group claiming to be associated with ISIS and operating in Gaza said that it killed a top Hamas commander. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
- ↑ Visser, Yochanan (June 4, 2015). "What ISIS Just Did To Israel Could Be A TOTAL Game Changer For The Entire Region (Scary)". WJ: A new terrorist group in Gaza that claims to be part of the Islamic State launched three short-range rockets at southern Israel on Wednesday evening. The group, named "Sheikh Amir Hadad Brigades," issued a statement after the attack in which it said it would continue to attack the Jews and jihad against Israel – whether or not Hamas approved – and that the next attack would come within hours. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
- ↑ Schwartz, Sharona (June 28, 2015). "A Chilling Message Was Sent to Christians from the ‘Islamic State in Palestine’". TheBlaze: A group calling itself the "Islamic State in Palestine" spread fliers in east Jerusalem warning Christians who live there to brace themselves for "revenge," an Israeli television station reported Israel’s Channel 10 television reported Thursday that it was the first time such a leaflet attributed to the Islamic State group was distributed threatening Christian residents of Jerusalem. The text of the message vowed to take "revenge" on "heretics". Retrieved June 29, 2015. line feed character in
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at position 206 (help) - ↑ "ISIS in Jerusalem, Threatens Christians". TheJewishPress: ISIS has released a flyer in eastern Jerusalem threatening to kill all the Christian-Arabs living there ISIS explicitly threatened to kill the Christians if they don’t leave eastern Jerusalem by the end of Ramadan Presumably, the Pope hopes the Palestinian Authority will save them. June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2015. line feed character in
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at position 120 (help) - ↑ K. Eisenbud, Daniel (June 28, 2015). "ISIS purportedly threatens to 'slaughter' Christian Arabs living in Jerusalem". TheJerusalemPost: Menacing Arabic flyers, purportedly issued by an Islamic State branch in Jerusalem, threatened Christian Arabs over the weekend with slaughter unless they flee the capital by the end of Ramadan. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
- ↑ Knell, Yolande (June 12, 2015). "Can Hamas hold back Islamic State in Gaza?". BBCNews: The Gaza Strip is still reeling from last year's devastating war with Israel, but now there are troubling signs that it faces an internal threat from ultra-conservative militants, some inspired by the Islamic State (IS) group. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ "Gaza militants fire at least one rocket towards Israel - army". DailyMail (Reuters): At least one rocket was fired towards Israel from Gaza on Thursday but fell short inside the Palestinian enclave, the Israeli military said, after warning sirens sounded at Israeli towns near the border. No casualties or damage were reported and no militant group claimed responsibility. Last month, Gaza militants fired a rocket that landed near the port city of Ashdod, about 20 km (12 miles) north of the Gaza Strip. Israeli warplanes launched strikes in response. Israel blamed Islamic Jihad for that attack and media reports said Hamas Islamists who dominate the coastal enclave had arrested militants behind the strike. June 11, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2015. line feed character in
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at position 225 (help)