Palestinian Arrested for Praising October 7 Massacre Online

A Palestinian identified with Hamas was arrested Friday morning by Judea and Samaria District police on suspicion of incitement to terror and praising the October 7 massacre. The arrest followed intelligence work by the Judea Police Unit, together with the Judea Brigade and the Judea and Samaria Division.

According to the police spokesperson, on the morning of October 7 this year, as Israel marked three years since the massacre, inciting posts glorifying the atrocities were monitored online. The unit's coordinator for identifying inciters and terror glorifiers on social media identified the suspect and moved to arrest him immediately.

The suspect, a resident of the village of Dir Tsamat in his 20s, posted a video glorifying the October 7 terror attack with the caption: "The morning of October 7 approaches, the memory passed like a sword but it will not be erased from our minds, it will remain as long as there is a heartbeat in the heart." A song played in the background with the words "souls were redeemed for you… my blood."

After the suspect's identity was uncovered, forces moved to arrest him. He was transferred for interrogation at the Hevron station and at its conclusion was detained. Police said they will continue to monitor, locate and arrest inciters and terror supporters across the internet and everywhere.

"Whoever chooses to incite to terror will be arrested, interrogated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," the police spokesperson emphasized. This is one of several cases in which Palestinians have been arrested on suspicion of incitement on social media following intelligence activity by police units.

In recent weeks, police have acted in several similar cases. Last September, a Palestinian was arrested who posted a picture of an IDF soldier with a bullet aimed at her head, and wrote: "By the life of Allah we will defeat them, and we will widow their women, and orphan their children." That same month, a Palestinian journalist employed by a channel suspected of links to Iran was also arrested on suspicion of trading with the enemy and incitement.

Meanwhile, earlier this month IDF forces raided a school in the village of Al-Eizariya after intelligence was received about incitement content and encouragement of terror displayed there. During the raid, signs and pictures of mass murderers were found, including Yahya Sinwar and Yasser Arafat, alongside incitement materials against the State of Israel. The school principal, a local resident in her 50s, was arrested after she told the forces that these were "Palestinian heroes."

In addition, earlier this week the IDF began a wide-scale operation to demolish dozens of terror monuments erected in memory of terrorists in Judea and Samaria. The operation was carried out following extensive mapping conducted by Minister Bezalel Smotrich and MK Tzvi Sukkot. Among the monuments destroyed: a central monument in the center of Shechem and a monument in memory of the murderer Yasser al-Hamdouni in the town of Yaabed.