Islamic Jihad pays tribute to members killed in latest flare-up
Gaza, Aug 25 (EFE).- Palestinian Islamic Jihad on Thursday paid tribute to all its militiamen who died during the latest flare-up of violence in the Gaza Strip.
Hundreds of people gathered to honor the deceased in the strip and the West Bank city of Jenin, where the Islamic Jihad has a strong presence, as well as Beirut and Damascus.
The commemorative events were held shortly after Israel accused Islamic Jihad senior official Bassam al-Saadi of committing crimes of affiliation with and activity in an illegal organization.
Al-Saadi was taken into custody on August 1, a move that triggered clashes between the Israeli military and Islamic Jihad militia in Gaza that left 49 people dead, 12 of them were affiliated with Islamic Jihad.
According to the indictment, al-Saadi is involved in core terrorist activities, including receiving funding from an Islamic Jihad operative in Gaza.
Islamic Jihad spokesman Tariq Selmi condemned Israel’s moves against the influential commander and said that the release of al-Saadi and Khalil Awawdeh, another Palestinian prisoner who is on a 175-day hunger strike, was among the conditions that led to the ceasefire agreement.
“We in Islamic Jihad are still committed to our positions and demands, and we are waiting for a response from the Egyptian side and the United Nations,” Selmi added.
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