Palestinian arrested after filming sewage dumping in streams

Palestinian arrested for dumping sewage

Resident of Dir Samet arrested after posting videos of himself pouring raw sewage into streams in Judea and Samaria and boasting of his actions on social media • Chetz Yehuda unit seized the sewage truck and opened investigation for serious pollution offenses • Separately, suspects arrested for weapons possession and stone-throwing

A resident of the village of Dir Samet, near Chevron in southern Judea and Samaria, in his 40s, was arrested Monday morning in an enforcement operation by the Chetz Yehuda unit of the Judea and Samaria District Police, after he posted provocative videos on social media showing himself dumping raw sewage waste from his sewage truck directly into stream channels in Judea and Samaria.

The suspect, who in the video he distributed on social media is seen boasting of his actions and proudly declaring that this is his way of harming and damaging the residents of the State of Israel and the areas of the region, became a target for security forces until his swift arrest. The arrest was carried out thanks to precise intelligence guidance from the police intelligence coordinator, in close cooperation with the operational arm of the Chetz Yehuda unit and the Civil Administration's supervision unit.

Detectives raided the suspect's home, arrested him for full investigation on serious charges of groundwater pollution and severe environmental damage, and seized the sewage truck that was used to carry out the acts for further handling by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).

In the footage published at the top of this article, the suspect is seen filming himself in a 'selfie' against the background of the sewage waste being poured into the stream. He says to the camera, in Arabic: "You see? These are our actions that we are proud of. These are our actions."

Alongside the environmental case that received wide public attention, forces of the Chetz Yehuda unit operated as part of a broad and focused wave of arrests to thwart additional threats throughout the sector. As part of this, fighters from the unit's investigation and intelligence arm, together with fighters from the IDF's Etzion Brigade and under the guidance of the unit coordinator, raided the home of a 52-year-old Bethlehem resident. During the thorough search conducted at the site, the forces located and seized a Glock pistol along with a magazine and live ammunition, and the suspect was immediately transferred for covert investigation at the unit ahead of being brought before judicial authorities to extend his detention.

In additional activity carried out by the forces in the sector, an 18-year-old Palestinian youth, a resident of the village of Sa'ir, was arrested on suspicion of deep involvement in popular terrorism offenses including stone-throwing at security forces. According to the investigation details, the youth is suspected of carrying out these acts on several different occasions, on July 1, 2026, he threw stones from his home's yard at military vehicles and forces passing nearby, and on April 10, 2026, he carried out a similar act when he threw stones from the roof of his home at IDF forces. The suspect was also transferred for official investigation at the Chetz Yehuda unit, and will subsequently be brought before a judge in court for a hearing on a request to extend his detention until the completion of the investigation proceedings.