Man Charged for Inciting Terrorism on Instagram

An indictment has been filed against a 20-year-old man from the Bedouin town of Lakia, identified as Ahmed Abu Maharb, for allegedly spreading incitement to terrorism and praising terror acts on his private Instagram account. The indictment, filed by the State Prosecutor's Office in the Beersheba District Court, details how Abu Maharb allegedly used his account, which had approximately 1,300 followers, between 2025 and 2026 to share content expressing support for terrorist organizations and glorifying their actions.

Among the posts cited are content praising Hamas and its leaders, as well as specific terror attacks. One such post shared a video clip from a speech by Mohammed Deif on the morning of October 7, 2023, which announced the start of the attack on Israel and called for participation in jihad and the "liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque." Another post featured a video of terrorist Adi Tamimi during a shooting attack, accompanied by a caption stating, "They searched for him and he went out to them in their home."

Further alleged posts include content featuring Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar alongside a speech praising martyrdom, images of Hamas officials with the caption "Jihad - Victory or Martyrdom," and a video containing calls for jihad and the destruction of Tel Aviv. The indictment asserts that these publications constitute praise, sympathy, or encouragement for terror acts, and given their content and context, there is a real possibility they could lead to the commission of terror acts. Some posts are also attributed to him as expressing support for a terror organization.