A massive bombing at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of people on Oct. 18 has focused attention on a Palestinian militant group that’s not Hamas. Palestinian officials say the Israeli military struck the hospital. Israeli authorities, backed by US President Joe Biden, say they have evidence the devastation was caused by an errant rocket fired by the group Islamic Jihad.

1. What is Islamic Jihad?

Like Hamas, which provoked the latest war by attacking southern Israel on Oct. 7, Islamic Jihad is an Islamist group dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish state. Both groups are designated terrorist organizations by the US and by the European Union. Islamic Jihad was founded in Gaza in 1981, six years before Hamas was established. Both are offshoots of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. Though Islamic Jihad is a Sunni group, as is Hamas, it drew inspiration from the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Shiite-majority Iran, which provides both groups funding and arms.

2. How is Islamic Jihad different from Hamas?

Islamic Jihad is smaller than Hamas and — at least until Oct. 7 — had been considered more radical. Islamic Jihad has always focused purely on military aims — launching mortar, rocket and suicide attacks on Israeli targets — whereas Hamas has social and political dimensions. Early on, Hamas established a network of charities that address poverty as well as health-care and educational needs. Hamas contested the first — and last — legislative elections held in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2006 and defeated Fatah, the main faction of the secular Palestine Liberation Organization, which had made peace with Israel. After months of fighting, Hamas took control of Gaza from Fatah and has governed there since.

3. How do Islamic Jihad and Hamas relate?

According to US and Israeli intelligence, the two groups have sometimes coordinated military activities and other times have acted as rivals. (Bloomberg)

Update news