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Islamic Jihad cautious on Palestinian reconciliation deal

Palestinian Islamic Jihad is concerned a warming of Hamas-Fatah ties will come at the expense of its own relations with Hamas.
Islamic jihad militants take part in the funeral of three comrades, who were killed in an Israeli air strike, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip March 11, 2014. An Israeli air strike on Tuesday killed three Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, the Islamic Jihad group said. The Israeli military said an Israeli aircraft targeted Islamic Jihad members who had fired a mortar bomb at its forces, and "direct hits were confirmed". REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3G
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Palestinian Islamic Jihad has given a mixed response to the April 23 reconciliation deal between Hamas and Fatah. Islamic Jihad's leadership reiterated the necessity of achieving Palestinian unity and restoring cohesion, to confront what the group’s leaders told Al-Monitor was “the risks facing the Palestinian cause, the division of Palestinians and the Israeli occupation.” However, some of its leaders still have concerns about the reconciliation deal, particularly concerning its weapons, as well as the future of Hamas-Islamic Jihad relations.

Khodor Habib, a leading Islamic Jihad member, relayed his impressions to Al-Monitor. He said the Palestinian reconciliation was the perfect option for Palestinians to organize internal affairs and end the division that had taken a toll on all Palestinians.

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