Hesn: New Iranian-backed Gaza jihadis

[TruthSeeker]

Iran spawns new jihadist group in Gaza

By JONATHAN SCHANZER & GRANT RUMLEYJune 18, 2014

Out of the Palestinian unity deal forged between Hamas and Fatah earlier this month, a new splinter has formed. Hesn is a shadowy Iran-backed jihadist faction in the Gaza Strip. The group's name is an acronym for Harakat as-Sabeereen Nasran li-Filastin, or "The Movement of the Patient Ones for the Liberation of Palestine."

Hesn (or hosn) means "fortification" or "bulwark." The implication is that the traditional Palestinian factions have gone weak in the knees. And for these Iran-backed fighters, one can understand why they believe this is so. The Fatah faction, since Mahmoud Abbas took over in 2005, has disavowed violence against Israel. Hamas, after the fall of Mohammed Morsi in Egypt last year, has been severely weakened - both economically and politically - which has curbed its appetite for violence. And now, after the formation of the unity government, even the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is vacillating between an outright campaign of violence and supporting the current fragile calm in the name of Palestinian nationalism.

Vacuums don't last long in the Middle East. Hesn's emergence is a case in point. But it's too soon to tell whether the group will have an impact.

For one thing, Hesn has not been around for very long. The first clues of the group's existence came in late May, in the northern Gaza refugee camp of Jabaliya, when a funeral was held for a Nizar Saeed Issa. The details surrounding Issa's death are fuzzy, but it was reported that he died after suffering injuries related to an unspecified explosion.

Issa's death garnered a substantial amount of support on social media platforms such as Facebook. That is when flags and photos bearing his image appeared alongside the newly created symbol of Hesn. The symbol is the same wielded by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and Hezbollah. Iran has not claimed ownership of this group. It appears clear, however, that Hesn is yet another proxy group in Iran's violent orbit.

After Issa's death, sources indicated that Hisham al Salem is the group's current leader. Formerly a commander of the military wing of PIJ, the Quds Force Brigades, al Salem has now confirmed to a Gaza journalist from Al Monitor that he was "one of the prominent leaders" of Hesn, and that he had formed the predominantly Shiite group as a way to continue the resistance against Israel during the pause in violence, however informal and tenuous, prompted by the reconciliation agreement.

Al Salem has figured prominently in the Shiite movement in Gaza for years. His name came up a few years ago as the chairman of a now-defunct Shiite charity called al-Baqiyat al Salihat society, based in Jabaliya, the same city where Issa was killed. The charity was purportedly a vehicle to spread Shiite Islam on behalf of Iran in Gaza's nearly homogenous Sunni society. Amid its deteriorating ties with Iran over the Syrian civil war, the Hamas government in Gaza dismantled the Iranian-backed organization in 2011.

In the Al Monitor interview, al Salem was quick to downplay his alleged sectarian leanings, stressing that he sees "no reason to separate as Sunnis and Shiites." Al Salem has made a name for himself in Gaza as an outspoken advocate for Shiism, however, which has led to friction with PIJ figures, who accuse him of spreading 'sectarian strife.'

Perhaps for these reasons, Hesn now appears to be in the crosshairs of Hamas. The Facebook page for Hesn featuring the group's logo and links to Shiite forums is now defunct, ostensibly taken down by an adversary or removed for the group's protection.

But this does not mean that the group has dissolved. Al Salem claims the group has a shura council and an armed wing, although he did not reveal their numbers. Al Salem also did not elaborate on their overall mission in his interview with Al Monitor, apart from saying that the objective is "resistance."

While the group remains murky, its very existence is a sign that Iran is not prepared to allow for quiet in the Palestinian territories, even as Hamas and Fatah seek time and space to solidify their fragile unity arrangement. This serves only to underscore Iran's goals in the Palestinian arena. Instead of heeding the will of the overwhelming majority of Palestinians who support the efforts to re-forge a unified national identity after years of fracturing, Iran appears intent to push the Palestinians into conflict with Israel - or even themselves.


Jonathan Schanzer is vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (Washington, DC). Grant Rumley is an analyst currently based in Jerusalem.

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/06/by_jonathan_schanzer.php##ixzz34zXH9bsf

 

[Jaanbaz]

Jonathan Schanzer is vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (Washington, DC). Grant Rumley is an analyst currently based in Jerusalem.

Any neutral source please?

 

[Falcon29]

This is thread is pointless. Seriously it is pointless. And these are nationalists not 'jihadis'.

Any neutral source please?

Just ask me, I'm from Gaza in case you didn't know.

 

[Jaanbaz]

Just ask me, I'm from Gaza in case you didn't know.

Is anyone allowed to visit Gaza? I mean when is the last time you visited?

 

[TruthSeeker]

The OP is information and analysis. The only reason you think it is biased and pointless is because you, yourself, are biased and do not want others to have information and analysis to consider that contradicts your prejudices. Also, in view of the events in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, it is useful to know that Hesn (Hosn) is a Shiite inspired entity in the Palestinian universe.

 

[Falcon29]

Is anyone allowed to visit Gaza? I mean when is the last time you visited?

Yes they're allowed and I was just there last year. Mostly people who are residents of Gaza or have proof of it. Other than that, mostly foreign journalists or UN employees. You don't have to be there to know everything going on there. I know the 24/7 events of Gaza.

The OP is information and analysis. The only reason you think it is biased
and pointless is because you, yourself, are biased and do not want others to have information and analysis to consider that contradicts your prejudices. Also, in view of the events in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, it is useful to know that Hesn is a Shite inspired entity in the Palestinian universe.

Being bias doesn't change the fact that this thread is pointless. Doesn't tell us anything different, what do you find so significant in it? It's not Shia inspired, it's a guy trying to secure support and there are a couple dozen members with him at most. Gaza is 99.999% Sunni Muslim.

We don't have 'jihadis', we have people who are passionate about their cause. Our cause is only restricted to Palestine.

 

[punit]

Instead of supporting and feeding Palestinian terrorists.. Iran should pay attention to its own backyard aka Iraq. Fall of iraq will be a major catastrophe for stability of Iran.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Thursday, June 12th, 2014 | Posted by WorldTribune.com

New Shi’ite player in the Gaza Strip: Hizbullah backs commander once banned by Hamas
Special to WorldTribune.com

GAZA CITY — The Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah is said to have encouraged the launch of Al Sabirin, a pro-Shi’ite militia, in the Gaza Strip.

The militia is said to come under the command of Hisham Salem, which declared its first operation on May 25.


“This movement was launched to resist the occupation,” Salem, referring
to Israel, said.

Palestinian sources said Salem was regarded as a longtime supporter of
Iran and Hizbullah. They identified Salem as a former senior official of the
Iranian-sponsored Islamic Jihad and arrested by Hamas in March
2013 as he raised funds for a charity.

In 2011, Hamas shut down Salem’s
charity, Baqiyat Al Salihat, charged with spreading Shi’ism.

Since the launch of Al Sabirin, Salem, expelled by Jihad in 2010, has
been promoting Shi’ism in the Gaza Strip. Salem has also displayed the flag
of his new movement, which strongly resembles that of Hizbullah.

In recent interviews, Salem said Al Sabirin would promote the principles
of Islamic Jihad, with the largest medium- and long-range rocket arsenal in
the Gaza Strip. He also called for unity between Sunnis and Shi’ites and
acknowledged Iranian financial support.

Al Sabirin did not disclose its leadership, size or weapons arsenal. The
sources said Salem was believed to have recruited disgruntled or ousted
members of Jihad, including Abdullah Al Sahmi, a cleric expelled in 2009.

The sources said Al Sabirin represents the latest effort by Iran and
Hizbullah to penetrate the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. They said Hamas, after
years of friction, has agreed to cooperate with Jihad on condition that it
does not promote Shi’ism.

“If this had taken place even a year ago, Salem and his associates would
be in jail for promoting sectarianism,” a source said. “Today, Hamas needs
Iran more than ever and is holding back.”

New Shi'ite player in the Gaza Strip: Hizbullah backs commander once banned by Hamas - World Tribune | World Tribune

Ex-Islamic Jihad leader launches new armed group in Gaza

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Those attending the funeral of Palestinian resistance member Nizar Issa, who was killed during an explosion at a resistance training center in the northern Gaza Strip on May 25, were surprised when Hisham Salem, a well-known figure in Gaza, declared the start of a new resistance movement in Palestine and proclaimed Issa as the first martyr in the ranks of this movement.

A former Islamic Jihad leader has announced the creation of a new “resistance faction” in the Gaza Strip, which has been accused of promoting sectarianism.

Author Rasha Abou Jalal, Posted June 10, 2014
The new movement is called “Al-Sabirin [The Patient] for the Victory of Palestine,” or “Hosn” by its Arabic acronym. Its flag looks a lot like that of Lebanon's Hezbollah in form and color — the reason why Salem’s local opponents accused him of promoting a Shiite current — which raises significant concerns for Palestinians about an outbreak of sectarian strife in the Gaza Strip and turning Gaza into a second Iraq.

What makes those accusations real for observers is the proliferation of YouTube videos showing Salem talking about historical events that are important to Shiites, such as the battle of Karbala and the killing of Imam Hussein.

These accusations and suspicions about Salem and his new movement are based on his historical organizational background. A source familiar with the Islamic Jihad movement said that Salem was regarded as “one of the leaders of Islamic Jihad in the northern province, but he was fired four years ago for [promoting sectarian strife].”

The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Al-Monitor that the nature of these ideas is to promote Shiite thought. He said, “This is bad for our reputation in Sunni Palestinian society, which rejects sectarian pluralism for fear of a sectarian war in Gaza.”

It was shown that the leadership of Islamic Jihad, despite its political closeness to Hezbollah and Iran, cannot withstand the promotion of sectarian Shiite thought in the Gaza Strip and wants to maintain the movement as Sunni, to be in line with the Sunni religious thought followed by Palestinian society.

Salem, who considers himself one of the most prominent leaders of the Hosn movement, spoke with Al-Monitor and confirmed that he was a former official in Islamic Jihad and that he was dismissed because of “differences in views,” without going into the nature of these differences.

He denied that his movement represents a split from Islamic Jihad, but he noted that his movement sees in Islamic Jihad’s founder Fathi al-Shaqaqi a father figure and an inspiration. He said, “[The movement] will preserve the embodiment of Shaqaqi’s ideas without any changes.”

Salem denied accusations that his movement is a Shiite current: “This is untrue. We have always believed in Islamic unity, and I see no reason to separate as Sunnis and Shiites.”

On the similarity of his movement’s banner with that of Hezbollah, he said, “This is an unintended coincidence. All the banners of the Palestinian factions are similar in terms of their content and symbols.”

Despite Salem’s insistence that his movement does not promote any Shiite ideas in the Gaza Strip, he strongly denounced the beliefs prevailing in Palestinian society that Shiites constitute an existential threat to the Sunni environment. He said, “I don’t think that Shiites don’t like Sunnis. I am suspicious of that. The Shiites are providing substantial assistance to the Sunnis, and an example of that is the historic Iranian support to Palestinian parties.”

He also defended his appearance in videos that were said to be promoting Shiite thought and said, “I’ve been talking about the two incidents of Karbala and Imam Hussein. They are not just for Shiites. It would be ignorance to link these events to [just] the Shiite current.”

About the sources of support for the Hosn movement, he pointed out that there is no solid support now. But Salem, who runs a charity association named al-Baqiyat al-Salihat, said that his association primarily relies on Iranian support. The Hamas movement had shut down the association in April 2011 for allegedly spreading Shiism.

Salem was arrested by the Hamas government in March 2013, with the daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat writing: “The internal security apparatus of the government arrested Salem, who is known to have good relations with the Shiites of Iran and Hezbollah.”

Salem confirmed that he was arrested twice by the Hamas government, attributing the arrest to a “misunderstanding” on the part of the government. He pointed out that he was also detained for 4½ years in the prisons of the Palestinian Authority before 2006.

Commenting on the announcement about Hosn’s launch, a Hamas official in the northern Gaza Strip, Atef Adwan, said, “This announcement came as a surprise to the government and the movement [Hamas] at various political and security levels. But we will not overdramatize the matter. We will put it in its natural context, because the birth of such a phenomena amid the confrontation with the occupation is not surprising.” He also said it’s likely that the new faction “will not be able to continue in the presence of giant organizations that fill the scene.”

Adwan stressed that Hamas “will not prevent any individual or group effort to resist the occupation.” He postponed any talk about the areas of cooperation with Hosn to the stage when its objectives, connections and funding are clear.

For his part, Hamas official Yahya Moussa denied the presence of currents promoting Shiite thought in Gaza, pointing out that such thought would “cripple the unity of the Palestinian people and fragment the Palestinian arena.”

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Moussa said, “It’s not normal that a man adopts a thought that is outside of the people’s [religion] and beliefs, especially since there is no historical Shiite [religious] reference in Gaza. Anything that promotes this ideology is a threat to our people and is in the interest of the occupation.”

The Hosn movement, according to Salem, has a shura council and an armed military wing, but the number of members is still unknown because he refuses to disclose this information. “I prefer not to reveal that now, but soon we will demonstrate to all our size, equipment and potential,” he said.

He said his movement was headed by a group of known Palestinian leaders, but he refused to identify them at this point.

The same source asserted that Salem is supported by dozens of individuals who have been dismissed from Islamic Jihad over the past years for “inciting sectarian prejudices.” The source believes that Sheikh Abdallah al-Shami, an official who had been ousted from Islamic Jihad five years ago, was one of the most prominent Hosn officials.

Political analyst Hassan Abdo said that the current environment in Gaza is not favorable for the announcement of a new resistance movement, pointing out that modern movements represent a “hasty and extreme ijtihad [interpretation] on the margins of the major movements and will not offer anything new.”

Abdo told Al-Monitor that the major movements arose when there was a true absence of resistance, and said, “But now I don’t think that such movements [would add anything new] because of the many Palestinian factions present.”

However, Salem said his movement “was launched to resist the occupation. … It is not a substitute for any organization, but complementary to [other organizations’] role.”

Salem did not rule out that his movement would exercise a political role in the future. “At the level of the internal Palestinian situation, we are ready to serve our people in various ways and areas. But at the level of the relationship with Israel, there is nothing between us except resistance,” he said.


Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/ori...tion-shiism-islamic-jihad.html##ixzz34zgdAecP

 

[dawud123]

As long as there is any group to resist against Israel. I don't care who is supporting the group.

 

[Fukuoka]

It's great but i think it's about time to boost the actions against Israel, and not just talk against Israel because it's useless

 

[Mahmoud_EGY]

Gaza is isolated and it is very hard for anyone to bring weapons i dont see any future for any new group inside gaza hamas control everything inside and could finish them off if they start to make trouble or try to take over gaza