Palestinian Lions' Den fighters dismiss PA surrender proposal

Palestinian fighters from the multi-factional Lions' Den group have dismissed a proposal for them to surrender their arms, vowing "victory or martyrdom", Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post reported on Monday.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) recently offered the fighters a deal under which they would give up their arms and become part of the official security apparatus.

Senior Lions' Den member Wadee Alhouh posted on Facebook that the proposal's timing was "unsuccessful".

Alhouh said the Lions' Den was committed to the "path of glory until victory or martyrdom".

On Tuesday, the group took credit for the killing of an Israeli soldier during a march by settlers near Nablus.

Nablus Governor Ibrahim Ramadan last week said he had asked the fighters to surrender to PA forces. He said he would ensure their safety and help settle issues with Israel.

Palestinian sources cited by The Jerusalem Post said that only a small amount of fighters had agreed to become part of PA security.

But Ramadan came under fire last week for calling mothers of dead Palestinian fighters "deviant".

He told Najah local radio: "A mother is someone who shows affection and tenderness, but there are some deviant mothers who send their sons to commit suicide and then show themselves to be 'resistance'. This is not a mother."

The Lions' Den responded by calling for him to "resign now and save face", describing his remarks as "insults to the mothers of Palestine's martyrs".