The US is imposing sanctions on a “militant Palestinian” group based Nablus’s Old City in the West Bank that is said to have claimed responsibility for multiple drive-by shootings at Israeli vehicles in the area.
In October 2022, members of the group, named Lions’ Den, fired at Israeli vehicles driving close to the nearby settlement of Elon Moreh, injuring a taxi driver and damaging vehicles, according to the US State Department, which is responsible for the country’s foreign policy. In a separate attack, numerous shots were fired toward the West Bank settlement of Har Bracha.
The previous month, Lions’ Den members injured and killed Palestinian civilians during clashes between Palestinian fighters and Palestinian Authority Security Forces in Nablus, while in April this year, Palestinian media reported that the group targeted Israeli forces with small arms at an Israeli checkpoint in the city, the government office said.
“The United States condemns any and all acts of violence committed in the West Bank, whoever the perpetrators, and we will use the tools at our disposal to expose and hold accountable those who threaten peace and stability there,” said Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman.
