- ISIS has staged bombings in the Gaza strip in their campaign against the Palestinian people; vows to topple Hamas
- ISIS has cooperated with Israel to strike Syria in coordinated attacks over the years
ISIS has been signaling its designs on the Palestinian territory of Gaza. “The rule of sharia will be imposed on Gaza,” an ISIS fighter announced in a recent video.
And that means going after Hamas, the violent Islamist group that controls the Palestinian territory. Abu al-Ayna al-Ansari, a spokesman for Palestinian groups that have pledged to ISIS, told the New York Times, “We will stay like a thorn in the throat of Hamas, and a thorn in the throat of Israel.”
ISIS’s ultimate ambition appears to be toppling Hamas. That threat is backed up by force: up to 12 attacks targeting Hamas in Gaza this year, according to the Times, have come from militants pledging allegiance to the Islamic State.
This comes at a dangerous time for Gaza. Hamas was battered during the 2014 war with Israel. Having essentially failed as a governing body, they’re pretty vulnerable. ISIS, with an affiliate nearby in Egypt, is well positioned to violently challenge Hamas for control of the Gaza strip. First published on Vox