Four days after the assassination in Shechem of Tamer al-Khilani and two days after the Israeli operation in the Shechem Kasbah in which one of the group’s leaders, Wadih Al-Houh, was killed alongside four others (IDF Raids Shechem Lions’ Den Safe House, 5 Terrorists Killed), on Wednesday night, five Lions’ Den terrorists, along with their “mastermind,” Muhammad al-Banna, turned themselves in to the security forces of the Palestinian Authority.
Another 15 terrorists are in negotiations with the PA to join them in sanctuary.
Al-Bana, who was involved in shooting attacks against IDF forces and against settlers at Joseph’s Tomb, recently escaped an Israeli assassination attempt. Al-Bana was once a member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades––the military arm of Fatah––and is also wanted by the PA security apparatus. His brother was arrested and allegedly tortured to death by PA interrogators.
The surrender and de facto capitulation of the Lions’ Den happened only hours before Haaretz ran a story by its Arab affairs correspondent Jackie Khoury, suggesting support in Shechem for the Lions’ Den terrorists is increasing.
Well, not if there are no lions left in the den…
Khoury’s report is essentially a press release for the PA, citing Ramallah officials and Shechem businessmen who warn that the Lions’ Den is more than just terrorists, they represent Arab exasperation with the occupation, you know the drill. But, again, seeing as the Lions’ Den boys are currently less than terrorists––they’re either dead or connected to car batteries in a dungeon in Ramallah–– the Haaretz warning comes across as more wishful thinking than thinking.
But wait, there’s more, even funnier: Al Quds ran a special announcement by the remnants of the Lions’ Den (probably from deep in their mom’s basement), that explained the five lions’ surrender:
“After midnight, the ‘Lions’ Den’ group confirmed that a group of fighters surrendered to the Palestinian security services, as a decision and an option for them. The group indicated in a statement that it did not request any official or security authority to receive any of its fighters. They asked the citizens to stop circulating rumors and not to offend any fighter who surrendered, stressing that ‘the den is a thousand percent well.’”
