Palestinian Arrested for Praising October 7 Massacre

Israeli police arrested a Palestinian man from the village of Dir Samet, in his 20s, on Friday on suspicion of incitement to terrorism and praising the October 7 massacre. The arrest followed intelligence gathering by the Yehuda Arrow unit, along with the Yehuda Brigade and the Judea and Samaria Division. According to police, the suspect, identified as affiliated with Hamas, posted a video on the morning of October 7 glorifying the attack with the caption, "The morning of October 7 is approaching, the memory passed like a sword but it was not erased from our memory, it will remain as long as there is a pulse in the heart." A song with lyrics about redemption played in the background of the video.

Following the identification of the suspect, forces apprehended him. He was transferred to the Hebron police station for interrogation and subsequently detained. The police stated they will continue to monitor, locate, and arrest inciters and terror supporters online and elsewhere, emphasizing that anyone who incites terrorism will be arrested, investigated, and prosecuted.

This arrest is one of several recent cases of Palestinians detained for social media incitement. In September, a Palestinian was arrested for posting a picture of an IDF soldier with a bullet aimed at her head, accompanied by a threatening message. Also in September, a Palestinian journalist allegedly working for an Iran-linked channel was arrested on suspicion of collaborating with the enemy and incitement.

In related actions, IDF forces raided a school in Al-Eizariya earlier this month after receiving intelligence about incitement and terror promotion. During the raid, signs and pictures of terrorist leaders like Yahya Sinwar and Yasser Arafat were found, along with anti-Israel propaganda. The school principal, a woman in her 50s, was arrested after calling the forces "heroes of Palestine."

Additionally, the IDF began a large-scale operation earlier this week to demolish dozens of terror monuments dedicated to terrorists in Judea and Samaria. This operation followed a mapping effort by Minister Bezalel Smotrich and MK Tzvi Sukkot. Among the destroyed monuments were a central one in Nablus and another memorializing the murderer Yasser al-Hamdouni in Ya'bad.