Mass demonstrations broke out throughout the night in Judea and Samaria and in the Gaza Strip, and even in the refugee camps in Lebanon, following the Israel Defense Forces operation in Nablus in which 11 Palestinians were killed, most of them armed terrorists from the "Lion's Den" group. The large protests, attended by thousands, were held following the "Lion's Den" call for demonstrations in support and solidarity.

In Nablus, the epicenter of the IDF raid on Wednesday that ended with the highest number of casualties in 20 years, the young protesters chanted "Let the olive branch fall, long live the weapon." In Ramallah, the ruling center of the Palestinian Authority, they cheered in support of the armed resistance.

Rare video where you can clearly identify at least one al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militant and other gunmen clashing with Israeli security forces in Nablus on Wednesday as a large crowd watches on the other side of the street. pic.twitter.com/tvN9gEIUtm

— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) February 24, 2023

The head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, said that the Palestinian people and the resistance will not allow the growing intifada in the West Bank to be "canceled", as he said. In his statement, Haniyeh saluted the crowds who came out to protest in response to the "Massacre in Nablus", as he put it. He said that resistance "is destiny".

Here are some of the terrorists eliminated by Israel in a counter-terrorism operation pic.twitter.com/mPr0f56mmo

— ElBluemountain #NeverAgain 🇮🇱 (@EBluemountain1) February 23, 2023

Yesterday, the Lions' Den called for "organized involvement in the resistance immediately." Hamas spokesman Hazem Kassem said that the organization is watching closely, and its patience is running out. Most of the dead in the operation in Nablus were terrorists and militants, but the Palestinian Authorities claimed that at least three were non-involved and struck by IDF bullets in the battle that developed between them and Lion’s Den members.

This is Tamer Minawi, an armed gunman shot by the IDF in Nablus.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health claimed he was an innocent 14 year-old child.

He’s 33. And hardly “innocent.” pic.twitter.com/cF6ozPL4L3

— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) February 23, 2023

However, considering that Palestinians have tried framing the death of a 16-year old militant who was filmed firing at security forces as 'the Zionist killing of a Palestinian baby' according to the ruling Fatah party, their allegations have to be taken with a grain of salt.

After a group of terrorists were killed yesterday in Shchem, 50 new terrorists were recruited. They have an endless supply. pic.twitter.com/qhog0B3BgE

— Documenting Israel (@israelmuse) February 23, 2023

The operation has been creating fear of a retaliation attack similar and the Israeli security circles are currently on high alert, with already existing fears of an escalation on the eve of Ramadan. After a senior IDF official warned that "it only takes a match" to cause an explosion, the US issued a statement in which it expressed concern about the number of casualties in Nablus. State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Washington was "very concerned" about the extent of violence in Israel and in the territories and that the operation in Nablus could harm efforts To bring calm. Following the operation, six rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip last night.

in #Nablus and elsewhere, and it constitutes a very dangerous policy, and harms the cause, national rights, and the rising popular resistance in particular
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— Middle East Observer (@ME_Observer_2) February 24, 2023

The operation on Wednesday lasted four hours, during which the forces surrounded a house in the old city of Nablus where three wanted men from the Lion’s Den terrorist cell were hiding, including one of the members of the cell who shot and killed the late IDF soldier Ido Baruch, near the settlement of Shevi Shomron last October.