Overview

Bassem Saadi is the West Bank head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Israeli forces arrested him in early August 2022, sparking calls for retribution from PIJ and a renewed confrontation between PIJ and Israel later that week.Fares Akram and Joseph Krauss, “Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 8, including senior militant,” Associated Press, August 5, 2022, https://apnews.com/article/israel-strikes-gaza-rising-tensions-4539de5f30c605b3423d3472351cd638; Emanuel Fabian, “IDF arrests senior PIJ member in Jenin; Palestinian teen from PIJ killed in the raid,” Times of Israel, August 2, 2022, https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-teen-killed-during-idf-raid-of-jenin-to-arrest-senior-pij-member/.

Late on August 1, 2022, Israeli forces entered the West Bank city of Jenin to arrest Saadi at his home. Israeli soldiers also arrested Saadi’s son-in-law and aide, Ashraf al-Jada. Israeli forces seized a gun, ammunition, and cash during the raid. A local PIJ cell opened fire on the Israeli soldiers, who returned fire and reportedly wounded several of the PIJ gunmen. A 17-year-old member of PIJ, identified as Dirar al-Kafrayni, was killed during the firefight. According to some reports, Saadi was injured during the arrest. It was the eighth time Israel had arrested Saadi.Emanuel Fabian, “IDF arrests senior PIJ member in Jenin; Palestinian teen from PIJ killed in the raid,” Times of Israel, August 2, 2022, https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-teen-killed-during-idf-raid-of-jenin-to-arrest-senior-pij-member/. According to Israel’s Shin Bet security service, Saadi had been recently working hard “to restore the Islamic Jihad’s operations, in which he was instrumental in establishing a strong military force in Samaria,” the biblical name for the West Bank, “in general and in Jenin in particular. His presence was a significant factor in radicalizing the organization’s operatives.”Anna Ahronheim, “IDF hoping for quiet, ready for anything after arrest of PIJ leader – analysis,” Jerusalem Post, August 2, 2022, https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-713736.

Palestinian media distributed footage of Israeli soldiers dragging Saadi away. In another clip, Saadi is bitten by a military dog.Anna Ahronheim, “IDF hoping for quiet, ready for anything after arrest of PIJ leader – analysis,” Jerusalem Post, August 2, 2022, https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-713736. Other footage showed a convoy of Israeli military vehicles entering Jenin. Heavy gunfire can be heard in other footage from the raid. In response to Saadi’s arrest, PIJ issued a statement it was declaring a state of “alertness” and raising its fighters’ “readiness.”Emanuel Fabian, “IDF arrests senior PIJ member in Jenin; Palestinian teen from PIJ killed in the raid,” Times of Israel, August 2, 2022, https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-teen-killed-during-idf-raid-of-jenin-to-arrest-senior-pij-member/. News of Saadi’s arrest, combined with hostile PIJ propaganda, resulted in protests against Israel in Gaza and the West Bank. A Palestinian teenager was killed during protests after he threw an explosive device toward Israeli soldiers. The Shin Bet attempted to calm the Palestinian public by releasing two photos of Saadi in an interrogation room with a bandage on his head but otherwise uninjured.Anna Ahronheim, “IDF hoping for quiet, ready for anything after arrest of PIJ leader – analysis,” Jerusalem Post, August 2, 2022, https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-713736.

On August 5, 2022, Israel launched Operation “Breaking Dawn,” striking PIJ targets in Gaza. At least 10 people were killed, including senior PIJ command Tayseer Jabari. PIJ Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhalah warned there would be no red lines against Israel and PIJ was “going into battle.”“Islamic Jihad’s leader, currently in Tehran, vows: ‘We are going into battle,’” Times of Israel, August 5, 2022, https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/islamic-jihads-leader-currently-in-tehran-vows-we-are-going-into-battle/. That day, PIJ launched dozens of missiles toward Israeli civilian centers. No Israeli casualties were reported.Steve Hendrix, Hazem Balousha and Shira Rubin, “Israeli strikes in Gaza kill senior militant leader and at least 9 others,” Washington Post, August 5, 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/05/israel-gaza-idf-strike/.

Between August 5 and August 7, 2022, PIJ launched hundreds of rockets at Israel, which in turn targeted PIJ military sites with air strikes. On August 7, an Egypt-negotiated ceasefire went into effect. A PIJ spokesman claimed Egypt had also promised to work toward the release of Saadi and Khalil Awawdeh, a Palestinian security prisoner in Israel who had been on a hunger strike. Israel denied either prisoner’s release was part of the ceasefire. Nakhalah repeated the demand and threatened to resume violence if Saadi and Awawdeh were not released soon.Lahav Harkov, “‘Israel did not agree to free Islamic Jihad prisoners in Gaza ceasefire,’” Jerusalem Post, August 8, 2022, https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-714168; Mohammed al-Hajjar, Lubna Masarwa, and Huthifa Fayyad, “Israel and Palestinians agree ceasefire following days of Gaza bombardment,” Middle East Eye, August 7, 2022, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestinians-gaza-agree-ceasefire-days-bombardment.

On August 25, 2022, Israeli military prosecution indicted Saadi on charges of membership in and performing services for an illegal association, aiding in contact with the enemy, and incitement. The prosecution requested Saadi be detained until the end of the legal proceedings in his case. After Saadi’s defense attorney requested to study the evidence against him, Saadi’s detention was extended until an August 28 hearing on the prosecution’s extension request.“Senior Jihadist whose arrest sparked Operation Breaking Dawn indicted,” Jerusalem Post, August 25, 2022, https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-715575.

On February 28, 2023, Saadi agreed to a plea agreement with Israel. In exchange for a 22-month sentence, Saadi pleaded guilty to conducting activity on behalf of a banned organization, incitement. Saadi also pleaded guilty to assuming a false identity as he initially identified himself to Israeli forces as his brother Ghassan during his arrest.Emanuel Fabian, “Islamic Jihad leader whose arrest sparked 2022 Gaza conflict gets 22 months in jail,” Times of Israel, February 21, 2023, https://www.timesofisrael.com/islamic-jihad-leader-whose-arrest-sparked-2022-gaza-conflict-gets-22-months-in-jail/.