Fearing assassination, Lion’s Den terrorists surrender to PA – report

In reported deal, PA agrees to imprison Lion’s Den members to protect them from assassination by Israel.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Four senior operatives affiliated with the Nablus-based Lion’s Den terror group surrendered to Palestinian Authority security forces late Wednesday evening, according to Hebrew language media reports.

Notably, prominent Lion’s Den commander Mahmoud al-Bana was among the men who turned themselves in to authorities. According to Hebrew language reports, al-Bana was seriously injured during an Israeli military raid in Nablus (Shechem) on Tuesday.

Commander al-Bana is expected to be transferred to protective custody in a Jericho-area prison.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, IDF forces raided an apartment in central Nablus which had been utilized as a de facto bomb making factory. Five Lion’s Den members were killed in the raid and at least 20 were wounded.

In a statement, the terror group categorized the men’s’ decision to surrender as “their choice,” and shied away from confirming rumors of an official agreement between Lion’s Den and the PA.

“The Lion’s Den group has not asked any official or security body, no matter how respectable, to hand over our fighters [to them], and whoever surrenders himself, this is their decision and choice,” read a statement from the terror group issued in response to the media reports about the men surrendering.

Unconfirmed Hebrew language media reports indicated that members of Lion’s Den have engaged in extensive negotiations with PA security officials in recent days, as the IDF steps up raids which have seen members of the group killed and arrested.

There is reportedly an agreement between Lion’s Den and the PA, which sees the PA protect the terrorists from Israeli assassinations and arrests by imprisoning them in PA jails.

The Lion’s Den is a relatively recent terror group, which has embraced social media as a tool for gaining support from Palestinians. The group regularly published its activities, including attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians in Judea and Samaria via its TikTok and Telegram.

TikTok suspended the Lion’s Den account in mid-October 2022.