Trump’s Jerusalem decision has led to a war between ISIS and Hamas
Jan 4, 2018 7:00 pm
In light of President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the Islamic State has declared war on the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
How did it happen?
The Islamic State released a 22-minute video calling on its followers to attack Hamas. In the video, ISIS members execute a man accused of collaborating with Hamas’s military wing.
“Never surrender to them,” the video’s narrator said. “Use explosives, silenced pistols, and sticky bombs. Bomb their courts and their security locations, for these are the pillars of tyranny that prop up its throne.”
Why did this happen?
The Islamic State gave two reasons for the war declaration against Hamas: Hamas has cracked down on ISIS militant groups in Gaza, and Hamas failed to prevent the U.S. from recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The beginning of the video shows a clip of Trump’s Jerusalem announcement.
What will this mean?
The conflict will likely result in an escalation of violence in Gaza, which has been controlled by Hamas for the past decade, according to The Washington Post.
That violence could come in the form of the Islamic State encouraging supporters to launch rockets into Israel, knowing Israel will blame and retaliate against Hamas.
About Hamas
Hamas is an Islamist political organization, considered by both Israel and the United States to be a terrorist group.
It was founded in 1987, and has been at war with Israel since its beginning, using suicide bombings and rocket attacks as its main form of combat.
Hamas doesn’t recognize the legitimacy of Israel, and its charter called for Israel’s total destruction until 2017, when it was revised to allow for acceptance of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
(H/T The Washington Post, Vox)
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