The people of Nablus, known as the centre of resistance in Palestine, refuse to accept the humiliation of living under the Israeli occupation that systematically strips away their freedoms. While Israel escalates its raids, allows expansion of settlements and settler violence, a hardened, younger generation of Palestinians has found new ways of resisting.
“How can we stay silent when they kill our children in front of our eyes?”
Nino Orto reports from Nablus.
Author: Nino Orto
Edited by: Erik Prins
The two mountains encircling Nablus stand silent as thick columns of smoke, caused by burning tires, rise above the rebel Palestinian city. The small shops along the narrow labyrinths of the old city are closed today.
The city mourns the death of Abdul Hakim Mamoun Shaheen, one of the historical leaders of the militant groups from Nablus that resist the Israeli occupation. Shaheen was killed overnight in a raid by Israeli special forces after more than a year in hiding.
Whispers of the fierce battle—one of the most intense in months—echo through the streets, with tension hanging dense in the air. Nablus has long been called the “rebel city”—and for good reason.
Since 2022, Nablus has been the focal point of numerous Israeli military raids aimed at suppressing the Lion’s Den, a Palestinian group based in the old citadel and named in honour of the militant Ibrahim al-Nablusi, also known as The Lion of Nablus.
The Lion's Den
The Lion’s Den has quickly gained widespread support, thanks to its social media presence and uncompromising stance on the Palestinian cause. The group has captured the hearts of many, especially the youth, for their willingness to sacrifice in the fight against Israeli occupation.
According to the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah, the Nablus-based resistance groups are primarily composed of young individuals.
Unlike other Palestinian armed organisations, its members typically lack religious or political affiliations and have no direct ties to traditional Palestinian political parties.
Popular support for these groups is driven mainly by a younger generation of Palestinians, born after the second Intifada and increasingly critical of the Palestinian Authority, which is seen as inefficient and corrupt.
Their steadfast opposition to the Israeli occupation forces and settlers has made the Lion’s Den particularly popular and relevant among Palestinians. It has made them champions of freedom.
“The Israelis want to instil fear in us, to create a regime of terror through assassination, kidnapping, and night incursions. But we will never surrender, and we will fight to the end,” says eighteen-year-old Mohammad, who recently lost a cousin during an Israeli raid in the old city.
As we speak, drones hover above the city, and news of an attack by Israeli special forces in the centre of Nablus spreads quickly. Four leaders of the Lion’s Den were killed in the attack.
For many in Nablus, the conflict with the Israeli occupation extends beyond military confrontation. It strikes deeply personal emotions, blending their religious motivation to liberate Palestine with a quest for personal freedom and honour.
“How can we live like this, where we can’t leave or enter the city without being checked or harassed by soldiers? How can we stay silent when they kill our children in front of our eyes almost daily?” shouts a bystander, as police sirens rise above the growing, angry crowd.
The City of Martyrs
Nablus has become a symbol of resistance, not only because of its fierce military opposition to the Israeli army but also due to the profound sense of hopelessness among its youth.
Frustrated by lack of freedom and confined under an oppressive occupation, these young Palestinians have embraced new forms of rebellion.
Their resistance goes beyond armed responses and is untethered from traditional parties like Fatah, Hamas, or Islamic Jihad, making them unpredictable and untamable.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has escalated the conflict, responding to any attacks from the Lion’s Den with devastating military operations, igniting the flames of tensions.
According to the Palestinian Authority (at the time this article was written), more than 716 Palestinians from the West Bank have been killed by Israeli troops since October 7, 2023, when the Israeli army ramped up its military operations.
Reports from UNOCHA indicate that Israeli forces have also ramped up the demolition of Palestinian homes, with 1,768 buildings destroyed and over 4,555 Palestinians displaced, including 1,910 children.
This dramatic rise in the intensity of operations, coupled with the surge in the establishment of illegal outposts (which constitute the first step of settlement expansion) and settler violence, has made life unbearable for many Palestinians.
While global attention remains fixed on the war in Gaza, Israel has quietly ramped up settlement expansion in the West Bank since October 7. According to the Israeli NGO Peace Now, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government has accelerated these efforts amid its ongoing assault on Gaza and mass displacement of Palestinians.
In the past year alone, at least twenty-five new outposts have been established, 8,721 housing units have been approved, and previously illegal outposts have gained formal recognition.
Israel has also significantly increased funding for settlement infrastructure, allocating seven billion shekels to new roads and utilities. This expansion has further extended Israeli control and is seen by many as a step toward de facto annexation. In the process, Israeli occupation authorities assumed enforcement powers in areas nominally under Palestinian jurisdiction.
Nablus, part of Area A and strategically located in the northern West Bank, has been among the hardest hit. The city has come under increasing pressure from settlers, who aim to control the West Bank and have effectively encircled the city for that purpose. Settlers frequently stage attacks, heightening tensions in the area.
“The situation in Nablus is no different from the rest of the northern West Bank, where Israeli forces are carrying out meticulous attacks. Since October 7, the Israeli army has intensified its assaults across all governorates, with Jenin, Nablus, and Tulkarm bearing the brunt of this brutal campaign. The goal is clear: to impose control through sheer force, but such a task is far from easy,” said Mojahid Nwahda, a young journalist from Nablus.
Through his reporting, Mojahid observed that the people of Nablus — and their counterparts in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas — refuse to accept the humiliation of living under an occupation that systematically strips away their freedoms.
Beyond the numbers, the rising tensions are a call for resistance. This resistance is headed towards different directions.
Frustration with the Palestinian Authority
The frustration with how the PA is handling its relationship with Israel and the occupation forces is shaking the balance of power within the various factions of the Palestinian political spectrum. The Lion’s Den has come to symbolise growing dissatisfaction with the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas.
Many of the fighters are relatives of Fatah members and belong to Abbas’s political party, making it difficult for the PA to manage internal discontent.
Since the group’s sudden rise, Lion’s Den militants have been targets of the PA, which views them as a threat, further deepening divisions among resistance groups and the population.
“While Fatah is officially opposed to violence against Israel, the Lion’s Den poses a major challenge for the Palestinian Authority because it can’t openly condemn them without appearing complicit with the Israeli occupation,” says Ismail, a researcher who preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the situation.
“The Lion’s Den has no defined vision or concrete plan beyond resisting the occupation and embracing martyrdom. These factors make them a serious threat to the status quo and can create further destabilisation in the long run,” he told Fanack.
The Lion’s Den’s lack of clear leadership and organisational structure has also made negotiations about their resistance against the Israeli occupation difficult.
Although several militants have surrendered their weapons in exchange for amnesty, the PA’s ongoing campaign to target the group’s leaders has only intensified, creating a significant rift within Fatah and fuelling widespread dissatisfaction among Palestinians.
As dusk falls over the old city of Nablus, casting long shadows on the cobblestone streets, the muezzin calls for prayer while youngsters prepare for the night. Tonight, like many others, will not pass quietly. It will be another night of heavy clashes in the city of martyrs.