The Palestinian Islamic Jihad is an Iranian-inspired Islamic militant group that aims to derail the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and eliminate Israel from the region.

The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade is a secular network of Palestinian militias aligned with Fatah that engages in sporadic violence against Israel.

From his exile in Syria, Khaled Meshal, the top ranked member of Hamas, exercises leadership and serves as the group's diplomatic envoy.

The Palestinian Authority is in a budget crunch after Hamas, a group listed as a terrorist organization by both the European Union and the United States, won January's elections, yet refused to renounce violence or recognize Israel. This prompted a suspension of hundreds of millions of dollars in aid payments. Iran and Arab countries vow to make up the difference, but experts question the reliability of such pledges.

As Hamas prepares to take over the government of the Palestinian Authority, CFR.org profiles some of its most prominent leaders.

Palestinian voters will elect a new Legislative Council on January 25. cfr.org offers a brief primer on the workings of the Palestinian Authority government.

A profile of Abu Nidal, a terrorist organization opposed to the state of Israel.

CFR.org profiles the most prominent Palestinian leaders.