Dozens of Haredim Block Route 25, 241 Junction Near Ofakim Over Draft Arrest

Dozens of Haredi demonstrators blocked the junction of Highways 25 and 241 near Ofakim on Monday, June 11, 2026, in protest of the arrest of a draft evader. According to police, the protesters arrived at the intersection and began blocking the roads, causing traffic disruptions and interfering with daily life in the area.

Police officers were sent to the scene and are working to restore public order and reopen the roads. The force urged drivers to stay away from the area, use alternate routes, and follow instructions from officers on site.

The protest came four days after large Jerusalem Faction demonstrations across the country over the arrest of yeshiva draft evaders. In those earlier protests, rabbinic leaders instructed the Haredi protesters to begin dispersing.

The article also described unrest at several other locations during those nationwide protests. On Highway 6, a driver was seen approaching protesters with a sharp object in her hand until it was taken from her by force. At other points there were clashes between drivers and protesters, and on Highway 4 police threw a stun grenade at demonstrators, with no injuries reported there. Footage from Gannot Junction showed a vehicle running over a 21-year-old protester who was seriously hurt. A 22-year-old woman from Kafr Qasim, suspected of running over a protester at Gahath Junction, turned herself in and was questioned by Tel Aviv District traffic investigators. In her statement, she said, "I was driving on Highway 4, they threw stones at me, and when I kept driving I apparently hit someone." At Gahath Junction, a 93-year-old man, who was not among the protesters, was also seriously injured. Train service between Lod and Savidor Center, which had been briefly halted at police direction after protesters entered the tracks near the Gannot interchange, later resumed.