House Reps On Both Sides Seek Sanctions on Militant Group

(StraightNews.org) – A bipartisan group of lawmakers will introduce legislation to sanction a Palestinian group thought to have actively participated in the October 7 attack against Israel last year. The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) has so far avoided US sanctions despite alleged intimate connections to designated terrorist groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Rep. Brad Sherman, a California Democrat, sponsored the bill and said the group has “flown under the radar” for too long and not been held accountable for its “horrific crimes.” The bill describes the PRC as the third largest terror group in Gaza and calls on the State Department to compile a report on the organization, formally designate it as a terrorist outfit, and impose sanctions. The State Department is additionally asked to consider the Lion’s Den, an Islamist militant group based in the West Bank.

Congress Members supporting the new legislation include GOP Rep. David Kustoff of Tennessee, Republican Michael McCaul of Texas, and Illinois Democrat Brad Schneider. Mr. McCaul said the US will continue to stand with Israel as both countries utilize all available methods to stop the activities of “violent terrorists.”

According to the European Council on Foreign Relations, the PRC is an umbrella group comprising smaller militant collectives. It names its armed wing the al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, although the European Council claims no significant distinction exists between the two. The Council also says it has contributed personnel to Gaza police forces and is closely tied to Hamas. For example, PRC’s former leader Jamal Abu Samhadana now heads the paramilitary Executive Force, a Hamas faction. Israel alleges that the group is backed and funded by Iran.

Congressman Sherman furthermore notes that the PRC militants killed three Americans during an assault on an American convoy in 2003, murdered a pregnant Israeli woman and her four children in 2004, and assassinated Palestinian Security Services Chief Moussa Arafat in 2005.

After October 7, it said it captured Israeli troops during the attack and posted images of them online.