The Al-Quds brigades
Encyclopedia
The al-Quds Brigades (in Arabic, Saraya al-Quds) is the armed wing of the Palestinian
Islamist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Especially active in the West Bank
and the Gaza Strip
, the al-Quds Brigades are reportedly receiving orders from the PIJ leadership in Damascus
, Syria
.
The al-Quds Brigades were very active in the West Bank, especially in the town of Jenin
, but extensive operations against its infrastructures carried out by the IDF resulted in severe losses to the group, and it appeared significantly weakened by 2004 in that region.
In the Gaza Strip, the al-Quds Brigades continued to fight for their cause, which is to return Palestinians to what the brigades consider their rightful homeland.
On March 1, 2006 Abu al-Walid al-Dahdouh
, a commander of the group's military wing, was targeted and killed by a bomb or missile as he drove past the Palestinian finance ministry.
On August 30, 2006 the leader of the al-Quds Brigades, Hussam Jaradat, was killed by Israel. He was shot in the Jenin refugee camp by the IDF.
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
Islamist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Especially active in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
and the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
, the al-Quds Brigades are reportedly receiving orders from the PIJ leadership in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
The al-Quds Brigades were very active in the West Bank, especially in the town of Jenin
Jenin
Jenin is the largest town in the Northern West Bank, and the third largest city overall. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate and is a major agricultural center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, the city had a population of 120,004 not including the adjacent refugee...
, but extensive operations against its infrastructures carried out by the IDF resulted in severe losses to the group, and it appeared significantly weakened by 2004 in that region.
In the Gaza Strip, the al-Quds Brigades continued to fight for their cause, which is to return Palestinians to what the brigades consider their rightful homeland.
On March 1, 2006 Abu al-Walid al-Dahdouh
Abu al-Walid al-Dahdouh
Abu al-Walid al-Dahdouh was a senior leader of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad and a commander of the group's military wing, the Al-Quds brigades. He was killed by an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on 1 March 2006 as he drove past the Palestinian finance ministry....
, a commander of the group's military wing, was targeted and killed by a bomb or missile as he drove past the Palestinian finance ministry.
On August 30, 2006 the leader of the al-Quds Brigades, Hussam Jaradat, was killed by Israel. He was shot in the Jenin refugee camp by the IDF.