The December 2008 war in Gaza, which inflicted significant damage on Hamas' military infrastructure, presented the Salafi-jihadi groups with an opportunity to escape the tight grip of Hamas and to expand their public outreach and range of military operations. However, Salafi postings on the Internet and the facts on the ground suggest that, in the six months since the war, there has been no increase in the presence and activity of the Salafi-jihadi groups in Gaza; rather, their activity has diminished significantly. Moreover, the Salafi camp has become even more fragmented than it was, and thus less capable of recruiting public support and new followers.
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