By Boaz ShapiraDuring the interview, which addressed several topics related to the situation of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, we found some interesting comments that are worth mentioning.First, Nahala headed to the “Joint Operations Room” of the Palestinian terrorist organization. She maintained that it is an expression of the coordination between the different organizations on the battlefield in terms of coordinating objectives, launching missiles, defining combat sectors, mutual support and other tasks. Nahala then stated that there is no need to exaggerate the importance and activity of this room as it is simply a coordination tool and nothing more, and there is no actual physical headquarters where representatives of different organizations sit together.In our view, this statement is a sign of Nahala’s dissatisfaction with Hamas’ lack of intervention in the latest rounds of fighting with Israel, in which Hamas left Islamic Jihad to fight on its own.Another important comment referred to Iran’s support for Palestinian terrorist organizations.Although this support is not a big secret, Nahala readily admits, in his own voice, that Iran is actively supporting the PIJ and other Palestinian organizations. This support, which began after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, continued over the years to the present day.The growing Iranian support for the PIJ and other Palestinian organizations in recent years, especially in the West Bank, comes from a direct order from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and was carried out by the Quds Force. Nahala claimed that he had close and continuing ties with Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani, and that this relationship continues today with his successor, Ismail Qaani, both involved in almost all aspects of “the resistance.”Nahala further added that Suleimani was one of the greatest defenders of the Palestinian cause, being “more Palestinian than the Palestinians and loved Jerusalem more than the inhabitants of Jerusalem…”.Nahala during the interviewIt is important to note that this Iranian support is not only political and financial. It also includes weapons smuggling, tactical training, guidance, knowledge of rocket manufacturing, ammunition and other fields.Nahala stated that this support was a key factor in the Palestinian terrorist organizations’ significant advancement in their operational capabilities.Similar efforts were also made in the West Bank recently, in the fields of arms smuggling and knowledge transfer, to increase tension.The IDF operation in the Jenin refugee camp currently is partly the result of Iranian influence and its involvement in the activity of different organizations in these areas.The third interesting topic that Nahala addressed was the YIP’s efforts to form combat battalions in all Palestinian cities in the West Bank. The size and capacity of those forces varies and depends on YIP’s ability to finance, arm, train and supply them.Nahala highlighted his organization’s cooperation with other terrorist groups and the support it offered them in various fields as part of their fight for internal Palestinian unity.In this context, he especially highlighted the cooperation with some radical elements within the PLO, who oppose a diplomatic solution, and the security coordination with Israel, to which he supplied weapons. This cooperation, according to Nahala, helped increase tensions and violence in the West Bank of late.One last interesting topic that Nahala addressed during his interview was the situation in Gaza.According to Nahala, although there is an Israeli “siege” in Gaza that makes life there difficult, “it cannot be said that the life of Palestinians is miserable and that we cannot find food.” He also added that conditions in Gaza today are better than before, in all respects, and “better than those of the Syrian refugees at least.”Needless to say, the “siege” Nahala speaks of is not accurate because Israel allows the import of goods and commodities into Gaza, as well as the export out of Gaza. Israel also supplies electricity to Gaza and tens of thousands of Palestinian workers enter Israel daily.Source: Alma Research and Education CenterPost navigation
