Ex-Islamic Jihad leader launches new armed group in Gaza
A former Islamic Jihad leader has announced the creation of a new “resistance faction” in the Gaza Strip, which has been accused of promoting sectarianism.
![Palestinian boy looks at a militant during an anti-Israel rally organized by Islamic Jihad movement in Rafah A Palestinian boy looks at a militant during an anti-Israel rally organized by Islamic Jihad movement in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip October 24, 2013. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX14MNS](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2014/06/RTX14MNS.jpg/RTX14MNS.jpg?h=c2c5b897&itok=NOi0DinO)
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Those attending the funeral of Palestinian resistance member Nizar Issa, who was killed during an explosion at a resistance training center in the northern Gaza Strip on May 25, were surprised when Hisham Salem, a well-known figure in Gaza, declared the start of a new resistance movement in Palestine and proclaimed Issa as the first martyr in the ranks of this movement.
The new movement is called “Al-Sabirin [The Patient] for the Victory of Palestine,” or “Hosn” by its Arabic acronym. Its flag looks a lot like that of Lebanon's Hezbollah in form and color — the reason why Salem’s local opponents accused him of promoting a Shiite current — which raises significant concerns for Palestinians about an outbreak of sectarian strife in the Gaza Strip and turning Gaza into a second Iraq.