Palestinians in Nablus rally in support of Lions' Den group as Israeli siege persists

Protesters took to the streets of Nablus in the occupied West Bank on Friday night in support of the Palestinian resistance group Lions' Den amid an Israeli military siege on the city that has been going on for seventeen days.

The protests sprung up after Lions' Den released a statement on Friday evening threatening to launch new operations against Israel, following the arrest and killing of some of the armed group's members in recent weeks.

Israel has laid siege to Nablus for almost three weeks, after an Israeli soldier was killed in the city in an attack claimed by the Lions' Den.

Israel has been conducting frequent raids in the West Bank including in Nablus that have seen scores of civilians killed. On Friday, the UN Mideast envoy said that 2022 could be the deadliest year for Palestinians since 2005 as a result of Israel's ongoing raids.

A number of armed groups have sprung up since Israel stepped up its raids, including Lions' Den, a loose coalition of fighters that is unaligned with more established Palestinian factions.

Anger has been brewing among Nablus residents as the siege persists and the death toll rises. Palestinians have described the siege as "collective punishment", with shops being forced to close and civilians unable to reach schools and workplaces.

A Lions' Den member was among at least six people killed earlier this week by Israel in the West Bank.

The group said last week that one of its members had been assassinated using an explosive device attached to a vehicle.