It appears the Islamic State (IS) is trying to take advantage of the popular uprising against Israel to woo more Palestinians to join its ranks. In a video released Oct. 23, IS warned it would soon be “beheading the Jews." IS is showing interest in entering the Palestinian scene and has called on Palestinians to carry out more stabbings against Israelis. IS seems to be targeting Palestinians who feel Hamas is not acting aggressively enough.

Abu Mutasim, a pseudonym for an IS supporter in the Gaza Strip, told Al-Monitor, “The uprising taking place in Palestine is a good opportunity for IS to enter the Palestinian arena and confront the Jews, because they are damaging our shrines at Al-Aqsa Mosque, despite any differences between IS and the rest of the Palestinian movements. The IS threat could be implemented in the upcoming period, through armed operations carried out by its members against the Jews, inside or outside occupied Palestine.”

Ibrahim al-Madhoun, a Palestinian author close to Hamas and editor-in-chief at Seraj, a local Palestinian news agency, told Al-Monitor that IS’ statements "encourage the uprising and call on Palestinians to break up with Hamas."

"Yet Hamas is smarter than to get involved in a media rivalry against IS, because it has focused on its struggle against Israel. This is while IS considers that hostility against Hamas is an introduction to confront Israel. This is why, through its recent videos, [IS] is attempting to attract Hamas members to its ranks, as it is the largest Palestinian armed faction that is active on the ground. Its attempt is, however, a failure.”