Hayat Tahrir al-Sham issues a fatwa urging Palestinians in Judea and Samaria to persist in their jihad against Israel

Image: Jihad Watch

On December 8, 2024, a Telegram channel associated with the General Administration for Shari’a Guidance, a body linked to the Syrian jihadi group Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), posted a fatwa addressing a Palestinian from the West Bank.

The fatwa, released on the same day the Military Operations Command, which includes HTS and other jihadi factions, captured Damascus and overthrew the Assad regime, begins with the question: “We regard the events in Syria as a great and beneficial conquest. What is our responsibility in relation to these events?”

The reply begins with greetings to “the people of Bayt Al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] and its surrounding areas,” adding, “May Allah reward you for the ribat [guarding the frontlines of jihad] you carry out. We ask Allah to assist you in confronting your enemies and grant you victory, success, and empowerment.”

Acknowledging the Palestinian questioner's “sincere feelings,” the fatwa emphasizes that these sentiments align with Quranic principles which declare Muslims to be “one ummah [nation]” and allies of one another. The responder expresses gratitude to Allah for uniting the believers as “brothers who love and support each other through Islam.”

Regarding the West Bank Palestinians’ duty in relation to the situation in Syria, the fatwa advises them to “remain firm where you are stationed.” Citing Quran 9:123, “O believers! Fight the unbelievers near you,” the responder refers to the 10th-century scholar Al-Tabari’s interpretation of the verse: “Fight the unbelievers nearest to you.”

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)