Gaza's Palestinian Islamic Jihad vows to fight Donald Trump's peace plan

Group's leader says the strip has become a key cornerstone of resistance to Israeli occupation

Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants take part in a military show marking the 32nd anniversary of the organisation's founding, in the Gaza Strip. Reuters

The leader of Gaza's Palestinian Islamic Jihad said on Saturday that the group would fight the United States' Middle East peace plan with "all the power at [our] disposal"

Ziad Al Nakhalah told thousands of followers at a conference in the Gaza Strip to mark the group's 32nd anniversary that "we are reiterating here — no to the cursed Oslo Accords and no to everything that has stemmed from them", including President Donald Trump's 'deal of the century', Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.

The group is the second-largest armed faction in Gaza.

Mr Trump announced his administration's controversial plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict earlier this year but the details have yet to be revealed.

Israel blames Islamic Jihad for rockets fired last month that interrupted a campaign speech by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr Nakhalah also congratulated members of the group for making Gaza difficult ground for Israel.

“The Gaza Strip, which was a no-man’s land in which Israel did as it pleased, has become a key cornerstone of resistance to the occupation. They take it into account and build strategic plans for it," he said.

The Palestinian Authority security forces reportedly seized evidence that proved that the group is trying to build rockets in the West Bank to attack Israel. Three people were arrested.

Among the items were a prototype of a handmade rocket and a missile built from a hollow tube and potassium nitrate.

Local media reported that the instructions for building the rockets came from Lebanon.

Islamic Jihad has been designated as a terrorist group by the US and the European Union.

It opposes the peace agreements signed by Israel and the internationally recognised Palestinian leadership.