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The United States has announced new sanctions against a Palestinian group in the West Bank.
On Thursday, the US imposed sanctions on the “Lions’ Den,” an armed group that originated in Nablus in 2022 and has been linked to several attacks against Israeli forces.
The State Department highlighted various attacks attributed to the Lions’ Den fighters since October 2022. They said, “In October 2022, Lions’ Den claimed responsibility for several drive-by shootings in the Nablus area. Lions’ Den members opened fire at Israeli vehicles driving close to the nearby settlement of Elon Moreh, injuring a taxi driver and damaging vehicles. In a separate attack, numerous shots were fired toward the West Bank settlement of Har Bracha. In September 2022, Lions’ Den fighters injured and killed Palestinian civilians during clashes between Palestinian fighters and Palestinian Authority Security Forces in Nablus. In April 2024, Palestinian media reported that Lions’ Den fighters targeted Israeli forces with small arms at an Israeli checkpoint in Nablus.”
The newly implemented sanctions will freeze the group’s assets within the US and largely prevent American citizens from engaging in transactions with them. These penalties are part of Executive Order 14115, which allows the US to sanction entities undermining peace and stability in the West Bank.
This executive order, issued by President Joe Biden in February, was initially viewed as a measure to curb settler violence against Palestinians, which had escalated with the conflict in Gaza. Recently, Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen urged the administration to extend these sanctions to far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has taken significant actions against Palestinians, including withholding taxes and declaring Palestinian land as Israeli state property.
