SUMMARY

PIJ firmly supports, condones, and carries out attacks on Israeli civilians, as a part of a wider strategy of eradicating the state of Israel. The stated goal of suicide bombings and attacks on civilians are the weakening of the “enemy” and the striking of fear into Israeli society. Both soldiers and civilians are legitimate targets for attack as they are both part of the “enemy entity” which is to be destroyed through holy war. Attacks are also justified by religious teachings by certain radical Muslim clerics and scholars (mostly those affiliated with the organization), stating that suicide attacks committed in a context of jihad make for immediate entry into heaven and is the highest form of sacrifice in a national and Islamic struggle.

The tactics employed by the PIJ are commonplace among Palestinian religious militants, ranging from stabbing attacks by sole perpetrators, shootings of settlers and other Israeli civilians, to suicide bombings in Israeli urban centers.

The first suicide bombing perpetrated by the PIJ was recorded in 1995, and before this the PIJ had mainly been involved in stabbing attacks and kidnappings. The PIJ has also been involved in the firing of Qassam rockets on Israeli cities and settlements.

PIJ's presence in both Gaza and the West Bank have permitted them to commit attacks in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel proper, with attacks being relatively evenly dispersed between these three areas with the exception of suicide bombings (taking place mainly in Israel. PIJ suicide bombings have occurred mainly at regular intervals between 2001 and 2005.

PIJ attacks on civilians appear in UCDP data as early as May 1989, when an alleged member of the organization killed two Israelis in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem. 25 one-sided deaths were however not recorded until 2001, at the peak of the Second Intifada which began in September 2000.

PIJ first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 2001, when the one-sided violence resulted in at least 25 civilian deaths. The threshold was reached in November that year when a suicide attack against a bus in northern Israel made the total death toll of that year to reach 25 deaths.