US sanctions Palestinian group, Lions' Den, in West Bank

WASHINGTON

The US State Department announced Thursday that it imposed sanctions on the Lions' Den Palestinian group it said is centered in Nablus’s Old City in the occupied West Bank.

Spokesman Matt Miller in a statement cited several attacks blamed on the group that claimed responsibility for drive-by shootings in the Nablus area in October 2022.

The statement said in September 2022, a member of the group injured and killed civilians during clashes between Palestinian fighters and Palestinian Authority Security Forces in Nablus. And in April, it targeted Israeli forces at an Israeli checkpoint in Nablus.

"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 the statement.

Israeli forces have repeatedly carried out raids into Nablus in search of members of the Lions’ Den.

Israel blames the group for attacks on Israeli targets, including the death of an Israeli soldier in October.