Islamic Jihad leader says up to Israel to end clash

In an interview, Islamic Jihad head Ziad al-Nakhala says that the ball is in Israel’s court regarding how long the fighting lasts, indicating he is ready to end the round of violence.

“This could be an open war, a long-range war, or it could be a battle between wars as they say. The enemy is the one who began the aggression, and it was on us to respond to is, and now it depends on Israel’s stance.”

Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziad Nakhala speaking to an Arabic TV station on December 12, 2018. (Credit: Al-Ghad TV)

He also says the group’s long-range rockets managed to send a message to Israel by shutting down large cities, even if they did not do direct damage.

“The decision to respond was made a few minutes after [the assassination of Islamic Jihad commander Baha Abu al-Ata],” Nakhala tells the pro-Hezbollah Al Mayadeen TV station. “The cities in the center of Israel and other important cities, including Hadera on the first day, were targeted. When Israel declares the halting of schools, factories and public institutions, that means the message of the Al-Quds Brigades have reached all these cities with these long-range rockets, which hit the Zionist depth.”

There were no reports of rocket fire in Hadera, south of Haifa, or any other area north of Tel Aviv.