Hebron groom arrested over camel abuse at wedding

Israel Police arrested four Palestinians from Hebron on Wednesday, among them a groom, on suspicion of abusing a young camel during his wedding celebration, after footage of the incident spread widely on social media and drew public outrage.

According to the Israel Police spokesperson, investigators received a video in recent days that showed guests at a Hebron wedding forcing the camel to drink various beverages and treating it violently. Detectives from the Judea and Samaria District’s investigative unit opened an investigation and conducted intelligence work to identify those involved. After the suspects’ identities were confirmed on Tuesday, detectives and officers from the Yasam special patrol unit carried out an arrest operation Wednesday morning.

The suspects are two Hebron residents, aged 59 and 53, and their sons, aged 27 and 26. One of the sons is the groom. All four were taken for questioning at the Hebron police station.

The arrests today (Photo: Israel Police Spokesperson)

In the footage, participants are seen surrounding the camel, holding it down and trying to pry its mouth open. One man pours a can of XL energy drink into the animal’s mouth as it struggles to break free. Additional clips show celebrants dancing around the camel while a child sits on its back, as those present strike the animal repeatedly.

Wedding abuse: Palestinians in Hebron forced a camel to drink an energy drink (Photo: Social media)

Police said they would act firmly against anyone suspected of animal cruelty, noting that Judea and Samaria District officers have handled similar cases across the region. “In this case, we are dealing with unbridled cruelty in which a camel was made to drink alcoholic beverages,” the police spokesperson said. “The suspects in the act were arrested and transferred for questioning, with the aim of prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law.”

The arrests are part of a wider series of police enforcement actions against animal cruelty in recent months. About two weeks ago, Southern District officers, acting on advance intelligence, stopped an illegal camel race that was scheduled to take place in a military firing zone in the Negev.