Game Changes as Islamic Jihad Unveils Their Latest Weapon: The War of Nerves

A senior Israeli national security researcher has stated that the Islamic Jihad resistance movement is employing a new tactic, the “war of nerves,” against ‘Israel’ in this conflict.

Yehoshua Kalisky, a senior researcher at the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), commented in a report released by Hebrew media on Wednesday that the apprehension in Israel concerning the retribution that may be carried out by the Islamic Jihad has created an odd dynamic between the occupying forces and the resistance groups.

Hebrew media quoted him as saying that Israel considered this to be a precise move, in line with their goal of restricting the conflict to a specific location and timeframe, targeting solely the Islamic Jihad. This is in keeping with the Zionist strategy of preventing any engagement with the Hamas militia.

Despite what he called the “high performance” of the Israeli military in carrying out the operation that killed three senior members of Islamic Jihad on Tuesday (May 9) – referred to as ‘Operation Shield and Arrow’ – Kalisky said there was a state of anxiety and uncertainty among the Israelis.

Reports of disruptions to routines in southern Israel, as well as preparations for rocket attacks from Gaza, partial paralysis in both public and private sectors, cancellations of events and road closures, were associated with significant stress.

On May 10, 2023, Adnan Abu Amer (@AdnanAbuAmer2) tweeted:

Kalisky remarked that the Palestinians understand that such responses from Israelis exhibit frailty.

Mohammad Al-Hindi, an official from Islamic Jihad, was quoted by an Israeli researcher as saying that the “Israeli enemy cannot stand the war of nerves.”

Hebrew media quoted him as saying that the speed of the Israeli crowds’ expectation of a response from Islamic Jihad allowed the organization to start a new cycle and to set its own terms for finishing it.

In order to address potential fears and prepare the Israeli population for the unknown, Kalisky concluded his article by suggesting the creation of an Israeli communication strategy.