On May 20, 2010, the independent Palestinian news agency Ma'an published an interview with Abu 'Omar Al-Ansari, a commander of Jaysh Al-Islam, the self-proclaimed Salafi-jihadi organization in Gaza. The interview came at a time of growing suspicions among Salafi-jihadis in Gaza that Jaysh Al-Islam had reached an agreement with Hamas that would stop Hamas' aggression against it, and after a long period of increasing doubt over whether Jaysh Al-Islam was fully committed to the Salafi-jihadi creed. The fact that Jaysh Al-Islam, unlike other Salafi-jihadi groups in Gaza, has not claimed responsibility for any attack against Israel in the past year has only increased Salafi-jihadis' suspicions vis-à-vis the organization's true doctrinal commitment. Put in this light, the interview is partially an attempt to dispel these suspicions by portraying Jaysh Al-Islam as an organization which strictly adheres to the Salafi-jihadi creed and as a group which does not hesitate to challenge Hamas' authority.
In the interview, Al-Ansari criticized Hamas for its crackdown on the Salafis in Gaza. He claimed that the recent bombings against Internet cafés and beauty shops in Gaza were carried out by Hamas itself, with the aim of distorting the Salafis' image and justifying the declaration of a state of emergency in Gaza, thus allowing Hamas to take harsh measures against the Salafis. Al-Ansari stressed that his organization does not view Hamas as a legitimate ruler, since it derives its authority from national elections rather than exclusively from the shari'a. As for non-Muslim foreigners in Gaza, Al-Ansari explained that his organization distinguishes between those who come in peace and those who harbor malicious intentions, such as spying on the Muslims and spreading moral corruption. He stressed that in any event Jaysh Al-Islam feels no obligation to protect even the former, since no legitimate ruler has granted them permission to enter Gaza. Al-Ansari also denied that his organization has ties to Al-Qaeda, explaining that it has its own unique path and methods.
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