In another example of how the Palestinian resistance movements have no interest in ending the cycle of violence, the Nablus-based “Lion’s Den” terrorist organization which operates throughout Samaria, rejected an Israeli offer that would have stopped the daily skirmishes. The deal would require the group to lay down their weapons and hand themselves over to the Palestinian Authority in exchange for amnesty for all members. The offer also included an Israeli commitment to refrain from attacking or arresting them.
According to a report in the Arabic “Asharq Al-Awsat” newspaper, sources in Israeli military circles confirmed the existence of the proposal and claimed that the Palestinian Authority was working on passing on the proposal to the young terrorists.
The proposal delivered to the group included a short prison sentence that would be enforced by Palestinian Authority. The PA in their message to the Lion’s Den said that "the occupation is determined to eliminate your activities, to eliminate you one by one... So let us protect you from his tyranny." Usage of the term 'occupation' to describe Israel is common coming from the Palestinian leadership and reinforces how they are helping fuel the animosity and unrest.
⭕️ The PA in a warning to Lion’s Den: if you don’t stop the violence now, Israel will assassinate your leaders and conduct strikes and special operations against you.
— Chaim • حاييم • חיים (@ChaimSmierc) October 15, 2022
Lion’s Den in response to the PA: “We aren’t afraid of death”
The group's spokesman said that "the proposal points to Israeli ignorance of the Palestinian popular resistance doctrine," and emphasized that "the mujahideen will continue to confront and confuse the occupation." The doctrine he referenced calls for the expulsion of Israel on all of historical Palestine land, which according to their charters is all of the Land of Israel.
According to the report, security officials in Israel revealed Monday night that the deal was a product of an assessment of the security situation convened by Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid. During the meeting, it was decided to prepare a plan to eliminate the organization "Lion’s Den", which is responsible for dozens of operations against army soldiers and some settlers.
Nablus' 'Lion’s Den' Has Become a Major Headache for Israel and the Palestinian Authority - Israel News - https://t.co/kAxgjG1v2i https://t.co/ZnFgv34QU8
— Av Aleksandr (@abbaleksandr) October 17, 2022
The sources confirmed that the participants of the discussion debated the best ways to deal with the "Lion's Den" group in Nablus, and sent them a threatening message letting them know that their identity is known to Israel. It was further decided to start putting economic and social pressure on them, such as confiscating land and invalidating work permits in Israel for all their relatives.
A Palestinian official in the report said that the Israeli military and security services are confused by the group's activities, which has led to resistance and new political discourse. “They think they are about 30 young people in Nablus, and the truth is that they number hundreds, maybe thousands of young people who have decided to take control of their affairs in their own hands, to impose national unity on the ground on everyone. Those who are ready to fight, and attack against the settlement plans and oppression, and the Israeli attempts to eliminate the Palestinian cause and eliminate the hopes for a political horizon.”
In addition to pressuring the Nablus-based Lion’s Den group, Defense Minister Benny Gantz revoked the permits of group members' relatives to work in Israel https://t.co/3dVfIt3i5a by @RinaBassist
— Al-Monitor (@AlMonitor) October 18, 2022
In contrast to the claims made by the anonymous Palestinian official, Israeli intelligence is rather confident in the information they have regarding the “Lion’s Den”. The group, consisting of a few dozen young men from Nablus, has been using social media platforms such as Tiktok to gain popularity in Palestinian and Israeli circles.
