Palestinian Islamic Jihad Delegation Travels to Cairo for Talks on Defusing Tensions With Israel

A delegation from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is scheduled to travel to Egypt on Thursday to hold talks aimed at de-escalating the escalating tensions between Israel and the Palestinians. PIJ Secretary-General Ziad Al-Nakhala will lead the delegation and meet with Egyptian security officials, following an invitation from the Egyptian government, according to Dawood Shehab, a PIJ leader from Gaza. The discussions come as a response to recent violent incidents in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and along the Israel-Gaza Strip border. On January 26, Israeli forces carried out a raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, resulting in the deaths of nine Palestinians and injuries to 16 others. A tenth Palestinian was killed by Israeli forces in clashes near Ramallah on the same day. The following day, a gunman opened fire near on worshippers leaving a synagogue in Jerusalem, killing seven Israelis. Over the past day, Palestinian forces in the Gaza Strip launched rockets on Israel, which retaliated with airstrikes on Hamas and Islamic Jihad facilities. Egypt has mediated between Israel and the Palestinians after past outbreaks of violence and has brokered several cease-fire agreements between the sides.