GAZA: Following deadly Israeli attacks on the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the beleaguered enclave, militant organisations Hamas and the PIJ met jointly in the Gaza Strip and vowed to support one another's resistance to Israeli occupation.

According to Khader Habib, a senior PIJ leader, the meeting, which was attended by representatives of the two factions' political and military leaders, was "good and essential." He said that the Hamas and PIJ agreed to strengthen ties to support "the two groups' strategy of resisting the Israeli occupation".

After the conference, a joint statement was released, warning Israel against "any future assaults against the Palestinian people and the members of the armed resistance" and referring to "armed resistance" as "the decision of the two movements." The statement added, "Our response will be firm, decisive, and united. There is no retreat, no hesitancy, and it will continue under high coordination between the two movements and all other groups."

Two of the PIJ's leading militants were killed on August 5 as a result of three days of heavy bombardment on PIJ targets by Israeli fighter jets. The terrorists in Gaza retaliated by launching a missile barrage at Israel.

The conflict between Israel and PIJ concluded on August 7 when Egypt arranged a cease-fire. Hamas chose not to participate. The EU and the US have designated the PIJ, which has ties to Iran, as a terrorist organisation.
Hamas has been classified as a terrorist organisation by the United States, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

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