Officers from the Judea and Samaria District Police and forces from the IDF Central Command continue to combat online incitement. In recent days, forces arrested two Palestinian Arabs, residents of Ramallah and the Hebron area, for allegedly publishing incitement and pro-terrorist content on social media. The two were taken for interrogation, after which they were jailed for the remainder of the legal process.
The arrests were made as part of a proactive police activity to monitor content on social media, to locate users who encourage harm to Israeli citizens, praise terrorists, and express support for terrorist organizations.
As part of the operation, forces arrested a 63-year-old resident of Ramallah on Sunday in a joint operation with detectives from the Binyamin Station, the Judea and Samaria District's Roeh Unit, and IDF forces. The suspect allegedly published over 120 posts on social media, which included praise for the October 7th Massacre, support for Iran during the war, and mentions of strikes on the city of Dimona. During his interrogation, the suspect told the interrogators that he is a poet and an expert in mathematics and agriculture.
In a separate activity during the weekend, IDF forces arrested a 40-year-old Palestinian Arab pharmacist from the town of Dhahiriya in the Judea region. The suspect allegedly published content that included incitement, solidarity, and support for terror groups for his thousands of followers to see.
Among the posts attributed to the suspect was a photograph from the scene of a missile impact in Beit Shemesh, accompanied by praise for the attack, as well as messages praising Hamas spokesman Abu Obaida that were published on the day the organization officially confirmed his targeted killing. Following his arrest, the suspect was taken for questioning at the Hebron Police Station.
The Judea and Samaria District Police said efforts to identify online incitement would continue in cooperation with the IDF Central Command and IDF units as part of the campaign against incitement and support for terrorism.
“The activities of those who call for attacks on Israeli citizens and encourage terrorism do not escape our attention," the police said. “We will continue to act proactively to locate suspects and bring them to justice."