Israel detains alleged Lions’ Den members in West Bank
Nablus, Palestinian Territories - Israel on Wednesday detained three alleged members of the Lions’ Den fighter group in the occupied West Bank, the army said, including the brother of a key Palestinian fighter.
The arrest of Muhammad alNabulsi and two others in Nablus comes a day after five Palestini
ans were killed during an Israeli military operation in the city.
“Muhammad Al-nabulsi was suspected of possessing weapons, manufacturing explosive devices and involvement in
the ‘Lions’ Den’ terrorist group,” the army said in a statement.
His brother Ibrahim alNabulsi, nicknamed ‘The Lion of Nablus’, was shot dead by Israeli forces in August and has since become a folk hero among Palestinian youth. The Lions’ Den has emerged in recent months alongside a sharp rise in raids by Israeli
forces in the northern West Bank.
The three arrests on Wednes
day follow the killing on Tuesday of Wadih al-houh, described by Israel as the head of the Lions’ Den, and four other Palestinians
in Nablus. A further 20 Palestinians were wounded in the Israeli
operation, the Palestinian health ministry said.
In addition to regular raids, the Israeli army has imposed additional checkpoints around
Nablus over the past two weeks which have severely impeded
daily life.
The closures follow the killing of an Israeli soldier in the area on October 11, three days after a military policewoman was shot dead in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.
So far this month 25 Palestinians have been killed in east Jerusalem and the West Bank,
territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-day War.