Israel ramps up pressure on Palestinian terror group ‘Lion’s Den’

The Israeli military has begun operating extensively in Nablus in the West Bank against a Palestinian terror group known as “Lion’s Den”, killing its leader in an overnight raid on Tuesday.

“Lion’s Den” consists of some 100 Palestinian youngsters and was created about a year ago to protect Nablus from Israeli soldiers who enter the city to arrest terror suspects.

Four other gunmen were killed in the raid, in which a bomb workshop used by central members of “Lion’s Den” was blown up by the military.

Following the operation, Defence Minister Benny Gantz said: “There aren’t and won’t be sanctuary cities for terrorists.”

Some of its members have been affiliated with Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah. The group has enjoyed widespread support among young Palestinians social media, and has received financial support from Hamas in Gaza, according to Haaretz.

The group is mainly active in the Old City of Nablus and the nearby Balata refugee camp and has carried out numerous shooting attacks on Jewish settlers driving on roads near Nablus, as well as attacks on Israeli soldiers at checkpoints.

On Wednesday, the military launched another wide scale operation in the West Bank, arresting 18 Palestinians including three members of “Lion’s Den.”

The extensive military operations in the West Bank began in March after a string of terror attacks left 19 Israelis killed.

Over 125 Palestinians have been killed in clashes with the Israeli military in the West Bank and East Jerusalem this year, with the Israeli military saying the majority of those were militants. Some 2,000 Palestinians have been arrested since then.

The Palestinian Health Ministry meanwhile says that many of those killed were innocent bystanders caught in crossfire, and some were killed at checkpoints when they failed to react in time to Israeli soldiers warning them not to come closer.

Two Israeli soldiers were killed in Palestinian terror attacks this month, one of which was killed by members of the “Lion’s Den” group in the West Bank.