Jamaa Islamiya: The Rising Profile of a Militant Group in Lebanon
Jamaa Islamiya, a lesser-known militant group in Lebanon, is gaining attention due to its recent escalation of strikes over the border with Israel. Established in the 1960s, Jamaa Islamiya has claimed to have carried out operations alongside Palestinian militant group Hamas in southern Lebanon. The group recently made headlines when seven of its affiliated rescuers were killed in an overnight Israeli strike.
Solidarity with Hamas and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip has been a driving force behind the actions of Jamaa Islamiya and other allied groups. Daily exchanges of fire with Israeli forces along Lebanon’s southern border have intensified since the conflict erupted in the Gaza Strip following Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel on October 7.
According to an official from Jamaa Islamiya, the group has conducted joint operations with Hamas in Lebanon. Ali Abu Yassin, head of Jamaa Islamiya’s political bureau, emphasized that all forces operating in south Lebanon coordinate their actions. The relationship between Jamaa Islamiya and Hamas is described as organic, with the two movements sharing the same ideological roots as the Muslim Brotherhood.
Despite having around 500 armed members, Jamaa Islamiya plays a marginal political role in Lebanon, with only one lawmaker in the national parliament. The group’s armed wing, the Fajr Forces, was established in 1982 to resist the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. While Jamaa Islamiya stayed out of Lebanon’s civil war from 1975 to 1990, its relations with Hezbollah have seen fluctuations over the years.
Analysts note that Jamaa Islamiya’s ties with Hezbollah have improved recently, especially since the group elected new leadership closer to Hamas in 2022. However, differences persist between the two groups, particularly regarding the Syrian conflict. While Hezbollah has supported Syrian President Bashar Assad since the outbreak of war in 2011, Hamas and Jamaa Islamiya have taken a different stance.
Jamaa Islamiya’s political official Abu Yassin acknowledged the group’s disagreements with Hezbollah over its involvement in the Syrian war. Despite these differences, there is a shared commitment to the Palestinian cause, aligning Jamaa Islamiya and Hezbollah on this issue.
Recent incidents, such as the reported survival of a Jamaa Islamiya official in an Israeli drone strike and the deaths of three fighters in southern Lebanon, highlight the group’s active involvement in the region. The death of seven medics affiliated with Jamaa Islamiya further underscores the group’s increasing visibility on the international stage.
As tensions continue to rise along Lebanon’s southern border, Jamaa Islamiya finds itself thrust into the spotlight. With its roots in the same ideological school as Hamas and a history of armed resistance against Israeli incursions, the group remains a key player in the complex political landscape of Lebanon.