Clashes Erupt in Elad Over Yeshiva Student's Arrest, Tear Gas Grenades Thrown

Hundreds of protesters gathered at the entrance to Elad on Wednesday night, near the "Torah B'Tiferet" and "Knesset Yechezkel" yeshivas, following the arrest of yeshiva student Elchanan Damti. Damti, a student at "Torah B'Tiferet," was handed over to military police after being summoned to a police station for a traffic incident, where it was discovered he was a draft dodger. He was subsequently sentenced to ten days in prison.

During the confrontations, tear gas grenades were reportedly thrown into the yeshiva compounds. At least five students sustained minor injuries from the blasts, with one student hospitalized at Beilinson Hospital and others treated at the scene. The police commander of the Rosh HaAyin station was also hit in the head by a thrown bag of trash.

Large forces from the Yasam and Magav special police units were deployed to disperse the gathering. Clashes ensued between the police and protesters, who were equipped with crowd dispersal measures. Rabbis from the yeshivas were called to the scene in an attempt to de-escalate the situation and prevent further violence within the yeshiva grounds.

Rabbi Baruch Mordechai Etinger, the Rosh Yeshiva, convened his students for a discussion to calm tensions and end the riots. Dramatic drone footage captured the arrest of a yeshiva student amidst the large crowd of demonstrators at the city's entrance. The protests initially began near a police station in Kfar Saba and spread to other locations before escalating in Elad.