Global InformationMujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem information
| Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem | |
|---|---|
 Black Standard of ISIL | |
| Leaders | Abū al-Muḥtasib al-Maqdisī ('Abd Allah al-'Ashqar) |
| Dates of operation | 2012 – present |
| Active regions | Gaza Strip |
| Part of |  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (since 2014) |
| Allies |
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| Opponents | State Opponents
Non-State Opponents
|
| Battles and wars | Gaza–Israel conflict |
The Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem or simply the Mujahideen Shura Council (also known as the Mujahideen Shura Council of Jerusalem, in Arabic: Majlis Shura Al-Mujahideen,[1] Magles Shoura al-Mujahedeen, and other names) is an armed Salafi jihadist group[2] linked to al-Qaeda[3] that is active in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and in the Gaza Strip. The group was formed in 2011 or 2012 by Salafist Islamist Hisham Al-Saedni (also known as Abu al Walid al Maqdisi)[4] to coordinate the activities of the Salafi jihadist groups operating in Gaza even before the Egyptian Revolution of 2011[5] and has carried out attacks against civilians in Israel.[3] The group describes violence against Jews as a religious obligation that brings its perpetrators closer to God.[6] Al-Saedni, who was the leader of the group and also of Jahafil Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad fi Filastin, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on 14 October 2012.[7] The group is subordinated with Al-Qaeda in Sinai Peninsula as of August 2012.[8]
In February 2014, the group declared its support for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.[9] The group was designated a terrorist organization by the US State Department on 19 August 2014, until the revocation of the designation in March 2022.[10][11] In its explanation for the designation the State Department noted that:[not verified in body]
the Mujahidin Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem is an umbrella group composed of several jihadist terrorist sub-groups based in Gaza that has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on Israel since the group's founding in 2012. For example, on August 13, 2013, MSC claimed responsibility for a rocket attack targeting the southern city of Eilat, Israel. Previously, MSC claimed responsibility for the March 21, 2013 attack in which Gaza-based militants fired at least five rockets at Sderot, Israel, and the April 17, 2013 attack in which two rockets were fired at Eilat, Israel. In addition to the rocket launches, MSC declared itself responsible for a Gaza-Israel cross-border IED attack on June 18, 2012 that targeted an Israeli construction site, killing one civilian. In addition to these physical attacks, the MSC released a statement in February 2014 declaring support for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
One of these sub-groups is Jahafil Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad fi Filastin[4] (or al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, "Unity and Jihad") which had been formed on 6 November 2008 and is also linked to Al Qaeda. In 2011 the group was also led by Hisham Al-Saedni.[12] Another sub-group is Ansar al Sunnah, which has taken responsibility for several rocket attacks against Israel, including a rocket attack in March 2010 that killed a Thai worker in Israel. Following the March 2010 attack, Haaretz reported that the group was "apparently linked to Jund Ansar Allah," another jihadist group operating in Gaza.[4]
- ^ Israeli airstrike targets terror operatives in Gaza, CNN 15-10-2012
- ^ "Salafi Leader in Gaza on Attacks Against Israel". ASHARQ AL-AWSAT. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ a b Thomas Joscelyn, Al Qaeda-linked group claims responsibility for attack in Israel, Long War Journal (Foundation for the Defense of Democracies) 19-06-2012
- ^ a b c "Mujahideen Shura Council is consolidation of Salafi-Jihadist groups in Gaza: sources". The Long War Journal. 14 October 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
lwjaug6was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
lionswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Five Gaza militants killed in air strikes". BBC News. 15 October 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ "'Global jihadists' overrun Egyptian Army outpost on Israeli border | FDD's Long War Journal". 5 August 2012.
- ^ "Gaza Salafists pledge allegiance to ISIS – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East". Al-Monitor. 27 February 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ^ "Terrorist Designation of the Mujahidin Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem (MSC)". US State Department. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
- ^ "U.S. State Department Set to Delist Mujahideen Shura Council of Jerusalem | FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org. 2022-05-15. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
- ^ Donnison, Joy (15 October 2012). "Israel seeks to contain Gaza's Salafi-jihadist threat". BBC. Gaza City. Retrieved 24 October 2012.