Palestinian Islamic Jihad leaders meet with Hezbollah leader Nasrallah

A delegation from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad met with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday, the Islamic Jihad said in a statement to Palestinian media.

“During the meeting, they discussed the situation in the area and the challenges in the face of the Palestinian rebellion,” said the statement. “The two emphasized the continuation of consultation and coordination between them in a way that strengthens the rebellion against the Zionist enemy.”

The statement added that the two organizations “expressed their appreciation for the bravery of the Palestinian people and the brave fighters who clash bravely” with the IDF “especially in Jerusalem and the West Bank.”

The meeting comes amid an escalation of terror attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank over the last couple of months and near-weekly IDF raids in West Bank towns like Jenin.

Escalating tensions in the West Bank

Last week, three Israelis were injured in a shooting terror attack. Two were severely injured and remain in the hospital. A few days later, the IDF carried out a raid in Jenin where four Palestinians were killed including a Hamas commader and a Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander.

SUPPORTERS OF Hamas and Islamic Jihad take part in a rally to celebrate the shooting attack at the Ilka Bar in Tel Aviv, in the southern Gaza Strip, last April (credit: ATTIA MUHAMMED/FLASH90)

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority will attend a security summit in Egypt on Sunday despite opposition from Hamas. Also expected at the summit are Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and head of the National Security Council Herzi Halevi.

Israeli security forces are concerned that the violence will get worse over Ramadan which begins next week, and Israel Police has warned that it will need hundreds more officers to handle the anticipated escalation.

The Palestinian Authority ended security coordination with Israel in the West Bank two months ago after an IDF raid in Jenin in which at least nine Palestinians were killed. It is unclear if resuming coordination will be a topic to be discussed in Egypt, but Sunday’s summit is the second of its kind in weeks, and did not result in renewed cooperation.

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