Ziyad al-Nakhalah

Ziyad al-Nakhalah is a senior Palestinian militant leader and the Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a Sunni Islamist organization designated as a terrorist organization by several countries. He assumed the leadership role in 2018 after the incapacitation of his predecessor, Ramadan Shalah. Under his command, the PIJ has been a principal actor in conflicts with Israel, including the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis and the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, often operating in close coordination with the larger Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.

Early life and education

Ziyad al-Nakhalah was born in 1953 in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, then under Egyptian administration. He pursued higher education at Cairo University in Egypt, where he studied engineering and became deeply involved in Palestinian nationalist and Islamist student activism. During this period, he was influenced by the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood and the writings of thinkers like Sayyid Qutb. His academic years coincided with a rise in Palestinian political violence following events like the Battle of Karameh and the growth of groups such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Career in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Al-Nakhalah was a founding member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the late 1970s, alongside figures like Fathi Shaqaqi and Abdul Aziz Odeh. The group emerged from the Gaza Strip as a more militant offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, inspired by the Iranian Revolution and committed to the armed struggle against Israel. He held various military and political positions within the organization, operating for periods in Lebanon and Syria. Al-Nakhalah was reportedly involved in planning several attacks during the First Intifada and was imprisoned by Israel for twelve years before being released in the 1990s as part of prisoner exchanges.

Leadership of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad

He formally became the Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in September 2018, following the prolonged illness of Ramadan Shalah. His leadership has been marked by a consolidation of the group's military capabilities, including the development of its rocket arsenal like the Badr-3 and the Buraq rocket. Under al-Nakhalah, the PIJ has engaged in several major conflicts with the Israel Defense Forces, including Operation Guardian of the Walls in 2021 and Operation Breaking Dawn in 2022. The group played a significant role in the Al-Aqsa Flood operation that precipitated the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.

Political positions and ideology

Al-Nakhalah is a staunch proponent of Palestinian armed resistance and rejects any political compromise with Israel, opposing agreements like the Oslo Accords. He advocates for the liberation of all historic Palestine through jihad and the establishment of an Islamic state. His ideology aligns closely with that of the Axis of Resistance, a coalition led by Iran and including Hezbollah and the Houthi movement. He maintains that the Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas has lost its legitimacy due to its security coordination with Israel.

Sanctions and international relations

The United States Department of State designated Ziyad al-Nakhalah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2019. The European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia also list the Palestinian Islamic Jihad as a terrorist organization, with al-Nakhalah subject to associated sanctions. He maintains close ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which provides financial and military support to the PIJ, and frequently meets with officials in Tehran and Damascus. His relations with Hamas are strategic but sometimes tense, as seen during the 2019 Gaza economic protests.

Category:Palestinian Islamic Jihad members Category:Palestinian militants Category:1953 births Category:Living people