Special to WorldTribune.com

GAZA CITY — Al Qaida-aligned elements appear to be embracing the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.

A leading Al Qaida militia has expressed support for ISIL and its campaign against Sunni rebels in Syria.

The Gaza Strip militia, Mujahedeen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem, endorsed ISIL in its rivalry with Al Qaida’s Nusra Front for the Defense of the Levant.

“We are committed to helping ISIL and bolstering its ranks,” Mujahedeen
said.

In a statement on Feb. 2, Mujahedeen said ISIL was being treated unfairly by rivals in northern Syria. The Gaza militia was joined by others in the Hamas-ruled strip who pledged allegiance to ISIL.

“Your armies in Syria and Iraq, are joined by this army of the environs of Jerusalem, which shall champion you undeterred by its fight against the Jews,” an Al Qaida-aligned video issued in the Gaza Strip on Feb. 11 said.

Placards supporting ISIL were also seen around the Gaza Strip, including
during a funeral for a school principal. Some Islamists were reported to
have expressed support for an ISIL branch in the Gaza Strip.

“ISIL will never exist here,” Hamas Deputy Prime Minister Ziad Al Zaza
told a briefing on Feb. 24. “It is only found in Iraq and the Levant.”

  Gaza militia pledges support for Al Qaida’s ISIL, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Shura Council, Ziad Al Zaza