The group's leader was unknown untilHamas Police raided the home ofYunis Hunnar on June 2, 2015,[6][14] who was accused of leading the recently formed group and was shot dead while resisting arrest.[15]
The group was named after Omar Hadid, an insurgent of Iraqi origin who was a member ofAl-Qaeda in Iraq.[1][16]
"...a form ofreligious nationalism [that] differentiates itself from other pan-nationalistic ideologies, for examplePan-Arabism, by excluding culture and ethnicity as primary factors towards unification..."
Emergence
The Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade first emerged from theAl-Qaeda linked (Sinai and Gaza-based)Ansar Bait al-Maqdis group, in a similar way that theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) emerged fromAl-Qaeda in Iraq. On November 10, 2014, numerous members of Ansar Bait al-Maqdis pledged allegiance to ISIL leaderAbu Bakr al-Baghdadi,[18] culminating in the eventual creation of the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade on May 31, 2015.[16] In early 2015, Hamas launched a crackdown against ISIL affiliates operating in the Gaza Strip, arresting dozens of individuals.[19][20] This may have provided an incentive for ex-Ansar Bait al-Maqdis ISIL-affiliated militants to organise themselves, sparking the creation of the brigade in late May of that year.
Other reasons for the group's eventual formation include Hamas' humiliating defeat to ISIL in April 2015 during theBattle of Yarmouk Camp inSyria, where various Hamas-linked factions controlling theYarmouk Refugee Camp were easily overrun by ISIL.[21] During the offensive, a senior Hamas official,Sheikh Abu Salah Taha, was beheaded by the ISIL militants.[22][23] This event may have had an influence on Islamists in the Palestinian Territories, who no longer saw Hamas as an entity worthy or their support and saw more of a future for ISIL.[24] ISIL affiliates in the Palestinian Territories may have used this event to their advantage, recruiting sufficient numbers of Islamists to form a viable organisation.
Organization and activity
The group is deemed to be an indirect offshoot of Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, absorbing most of its former Gaza-based members among other Islamists, some originating from theArmy of Islam group and others defecting from Hamas.[25]
Following the disbanding of Ansar Bait al-Maqdis in November 2014, another ISIL-affiliated offshoot group was indirectly formed inEgypt, known asSinai Province or Wilayat Sinai, a Sinai-based group.[26] Wilayat Sinai is a known ally of the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade, and both groups are known to have smuggled supplies to each other across theEgypt–Gaza border. This trading relationship was severely impeded during the summer of 2015, when theEgyptian Army dug a deep trench along the border.[5]
May 31, 2015 — The group's first official attack was carried out against a Hamas commander, in a car bombing in Gaza. The target,Saber Siam, was killed instantly.[46][47]
August 28, 2019 — Suicide bombers thought to be aligned with the Islamic State group attacked two police checkpoints in Gaza, killing three Palestinian officers.[48]
June 3, 2015 — Two separate rocket attacks were launched on Israel from Gaza, both of which failed. One landed in theNegev, while the other landed nearAshkelon.[49][50]
June 11, 2015 — An attempted rocket attack targeting Ashkelon was carried out from Gaza. The rocket failed to reach its target and exploded in Gaza instead.[51][50]
July 16, 2015 — A rocket attack from Gaza aimed at Ashkelon failed, with the rocket exploding over open territory in the western Negev.[50]
August 26, 2015 — Another similar rocket attack failed, with the rocket landing between a small Israeli community and theborder security fence.[50][52]
September 18, 2015 — Two rockets were launched in an attack on southern Israeli cities. The first rocket landed inSderot, destroying a bus and damaging a residence, though no casualties were reported. TheIron Dome system intercepted the second rocket, fired a few hours later, which was aimed at Ashkelon.[53]
September 29, 2015 — Two separate rocket attacks aimed atAshdod failed. Both rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome system.[54][50]
October 26, 2015 — A rocket attack from Gaza failed, with the rocket landing in open territory in the western Negev.[55][50]
^abcdeBeauchamp, Zack (July 2, 2015)."ISIS is threatening Hamas in Gaza".Both "the secular nationalism" of Fatah and "the Islamist nationalism of [Hamas] have run aground," Hussein Ibish, Senior Resident Scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute, explains. "So in come the anti-nationalists, who say 'no, no, that's all wrong. It's all about God, Umma, and the caliphate.'" That is ISIS's opening: Palestinians, especially the younger generation, are fed up with their current leaders and looking for something new. RetrievedJuly 7, 2015.
^"Palestinian Salafists pose dangerous new problem for Hamas".Guardian: The conflict with the militant Salafists – totalling a few hundred at most – has led to a Hamas crackdown and, in reprisal, three rockets fired by the Salafists at Israel. June 10, 2015. RetrievedJune 12, 2015.
^abMohamed, Yusri (June 22, 2015)."Egypt army digs trench along Gaza border to prevent smuggling".TheDailyStar (Lebanon): The Egyptian army is digging a trench in northern Sinai along the border with Gaza in an effort to prevent smuggling, security sources said Monday, as the government steps up activities to prevent militant attacks that often target security forces. RetrievedJune 22, 2015.
^abBlade, Elizabeth (June 9, 2015)."Worse Than Hamas? ISIS in Gaza".IsraelToday: Earlier this month Hamas "police" stormed the Gaza home of Yunis Hunnar, believed to be a member of a Salafi group linked to ISIS. A Hamas spokesman later said Hunnar had carried out attacks against the ruling group in May. Nor was it the first time Hamas' rule had been challenged by Islamists more radical than itself. RetrievedJune 10, 2015.
^"ISIS: We Are Operating in Gaza".Vocative: The extremist terror organization is establishing a toehold inside Gaza, despite Hamas' claims to the contrary. June 9, 2014. Archived fromthe original on August 16, 2021. RetrievedJune 2, 2015.
^Lamb, Franklin (June 21, 2014)."Article: Will ISIS Create al-Sham Caliphate & Liberate Palestine?".MWCNews: One need not be prescient to understand the unfolding "Jihadi Spring" is fueling the plans and perhaps destiny of ascendant Islamists in this region with the increasing help of in-country nationalists, including remnants of the Iraqi Baath Party. RetrievedJune 2, 2015.
^Abu-Toameh, Khaled (July 7, 2014)."ISIS already in Gaza Strip".BreakingIsraelNews: Last month, Hamas sent its policemen and militias to disperse a rally organized by ISIS followers in the Gaza Strip to celebrate the recent "military victories" of the terrorist group in Iraq. Hamas prevented local journalists from covering the event as part of its attempt to deny the existence of ISIS in the Gaza Strip. At the rally, attended by dozens of Islamists, the crowd chanted, "Khaybar, Khyabar, Ya Yahud, Jaish Mohamed Saya'ud!" ("O Jews, Mohamed's army will return"). This is a battle cry that many Islamists like to chant to remind the Jews of the story of the battle fought in 629 CE by the Prophet Mohamed against the Jews of Khaybar, an oasis in north-western Arabia. The battle resulted in the killing of many Jews, and their women and children were taken as slaves. RetrievedJune 11, 2015.
^Baskin, Gregory (August 30, 2014)."Gaza Strip: ISIS Intent on Palestine and Murder of Jews".LibertyVoice (Guardian): The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which is the organization that has quickly gained control of vast areas of Syria and Iraq using no-holds-barred tactics such as beheadings, kidnappings, and bombings, has now declared that one of its goals is "to fight the barbaric Jews and kill those of them hiding behind the gharqad trees, the trees of the Jews". RetrievedJune 12, 2015.
^Lamb, Franklin (June 23, 2014)."Will ISIS Create al-Sham Caliphate and Liberate Palestine?".Foreign Policy Journal. RetrievedJune 2, 2015.Ein el Helwe Palestinian camp, LEBANON — One need not be prescient to understand the unfolding "Jihadi Spring" is fueling the plans and perhaps destiny of ascendant Islamists in this region with the increasing help of in-country nationalists, including remnants of the Iraqi Baath Party
^"After Security Services Killed a Man While Attempting to Arrest Him, PCHR Calls Upon Attorney General in Gaza to Investigate the Incident and Publish Results".PCHR: On Tuesday 02 June 2015, security Services in the Gaza Strip killed Yunis Sa'id al-Hunnar while attempting to arrest him from his house in Shaikh Redwan neighborhood in Gaza City. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) is gravely concerned over this incident, and calls upon the Attorney General to investigate it, find out why security services opened fire, verify that security services exhausted all the necessary measures before using live ammunition that resulted in the killing of al-Hunnar and publish the results of the investigation. June 2, 2015. Archived fromthe original on September 24, 2015. RetrievedJune 10, 2015.
^Yashar, Ari (June 2, 2015)."Hamas Kills Local ISIS Leader in Gaza Shootout".ArutzSheva7: Round 1? Salafist leader killed after violently resisting arrest for 'illegal activities,' as ISIS threat looks likely to come to fruition. RetrievedJune 11, 2015.
^abJawad Al-Tamimi, Aymenn (June 2, 2015)."New Salafi Jihadi Group in Gaza".A new group in Gaza calling itself the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade claimed credit for rocket attacks on Ashdod in late May. RetrievedJune 4, 2015.
^Allmeling, Anne (July 28, 2014)."ISIS threatening to redraw Mideast borders".DWNews: "The group's goal is to establish their cross-boundary zone, beginning in Syria and Iraq," said Falko Walde of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Amman, Jordan. And that's only an intermediary step, he added - ISIS wants to reach other states in the region, including Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and even Cyprus and parts of southern Turkey. "The group wants to create a state rooted in its conceptions of politics and society," Walde said... Al-Baghdadi, who was born in Iraq, views himself as a successor to the prophet Mohammed, claims to rule over all Muslims and has taken up the old idea of an Islamic empire. RetrievedJune 11, 2015.
^Shuttleworth, Kate (September 19, 2015)."Israeli airstrikes target Hamas after rocket attacks".TheGuardian: In May, Hamas launched a serious crackdown on the [Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade] group, imprisoning dozens of its members. RetrievedSeptember 23, 2015.
^Perring, Rebecca (June 1, 2015)."ISIS turns on Hamas in Gaza over its crackdown on extremists".Express. RetrievedJune 12, 2015.The Islamist extremists warned Hamas to "end its war against religion" on the Israeli border of Gaza or "face the consequences". Hamas, an Islamic militant group that has ruled Gaza since 2007, sees more radical groups as a threat. Hamas launched a crackdown on the Islamist extremists following a series of unclaimed bombings. It has arrested dozens of ISIS supporters in recent weeks, including Imams, following the terror group's takeover of the Yarmouk Palestine refugee camp near Damascus
^Soffer, Ari (April 5, 2015)."Report: ISIS Beheads Senior Hamas Operative in Syria".ArutzSheva7: Sheikh Abu Salah Taha believed to be among scores of Palestinians executed in Yarmouk; image of severed head posted online. RetrievedJune 2, 2015.
^Buxbaum, Robert (May 7, 2015)."Hamas head deposed, no peace in the middle east".REBResearch: Just about one month ago, the head of the head of Hamas in Syria was removed from his position atop Sheikh Abu Salah Taha's shoulders. RetrievedJune 11, 2015.
^Smolar, Piotr (June 16, 2015)."ISIS And Corruption Undermine Hamas Rule In Gaza".WorldCrunch: Hamas, the Islamist group that governs Gaza, is now facing a challenge from Islamic State insurgents and growing disenchantment with its leadership. RetrievedJune 22, 2015.
^Beaumont, Peter (June 10, 2015)."Palestinian Salafists pose dangerous new problem for Hamas".TheGuardian: “We don’t have our own rockets,” [Abu Bilel] explained, adding that members of [the Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade] group had also had “military training” from former members of Hamas who had defected. RetrievedJune 16, 2015.
^"Foreign Terrorist Organizations".USGovernment-DepartmentofState-Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Bureau of Counterterrorism. United States Department of State. RetrievedJune 11, 2015.
^Levi, Yaakov (May 31, 2015)."ISIS Threatens to Destroy 'Heretical Hamas'".ArutzSheva7: A group claiming to be associated with ISIS and operating in Gaza said that it killed a top Hamas commander. RetrievedJune 5, 2015.
^"IDF Strikes Gaza After at Least Two Rockets Fired".Haaretz: Israel Air Force jets struck Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip early Thursday morning, after at least two rockets were fired from the Strip at southern Israel on Wednesday evening. June 4, 2015. RetrievedJune 6, 2015.
^abcdef"Rocket fire from Gaza".MFA: Rocket fire from Gaza and ceasefire violations after Operation Cast Lead (Jan 2009). March 16, 2016. RetrievedMarch 18, 2016.
^"Is the Islamic State on the Rise in Gaza?".ForeignPolicy: Sirens went off in the Israeli city of Ashkelon, announcing the third barrage of rockets fired by Palestinian militants in less than two weeks. A group inspired by the Islamic State quickly claimed responsibility and promised more attacks. June 17, 2015. RetrievedJune 19, 2015.
^"Islamic State affiliate claims Wednesday's rocket attack".TimesOfIsrael: Two days after a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip struck southern Israel, a radical jihadist group affiliated with the Islamic State on Friday claimed responsibility for the attack. August 29, 2015. RetrievedSeptember 6, 2015.
^"Rocket sirens sound in western Negev in false alarm".TimesOfIsrael: On Friday evening, the Iron Dome intercepted a rocket fired at the southern city of Ashkelon, hours after a similar attack saw a rocket strike land in a residential area of Sderot. September 19, 2015. RetrievedSeptember 28, 2015.
^"Israeli military strikes back in Gaza after rocket fire".UPI: Israeli fighter jets launched airstrikes in the Gaza Strip early Wednesday, reportedly in response to a rocket launched from the Palestinian territory toward Israel. September 30, 2015. RetrievedOctober 6, 2015.
Gaza Strip
East Jerusalem
Islamic State
