Terrorist Organization Profile:
Knights of the Tempest

In their claim of responsibility, the Knights said they had acted because Palestinian security forces had previously ignored their calls to move against collaborators. The group also said the men had made a full confession, and that a Muslim cleric was consulted in order to mete out a proper punishment. The two captives were apparently shot in the legs, had their identity cards seized by the group, and were placed under house arrest.

From their public statements, it appears that the Knights of the Tempest are a more radical and religiously motivated splinter group from the generally secular al-Fatah movement.

This particular outfit seems particularly concerned with Palestinian collaborators, a common cause of anger amongst Palestinian militants. In the past, vigilante groups such as the Knights have captured and lynched dozens of alleged Palestinian collaborators, always without a trial. These collaborators are most often accused of providing information on militant leaders and planned terrorist attacks to Israeli security and intelligence forces.

Learn more about these U.S. Department of State classifications:

Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs)

Terrorist Exclusion List (TEL)