Ultra-Orthodox Protests Erupt in Elad, Police Officer Injured

Following the arrest, protests initiated by the ultra-Orthodox organization "Tzeva Shahor" began in the Sharon region, including a blockade at the Ra'anana junction, before spreading to Elad. Dozens of yeshiva students staged a demonstration at the entrance to Elad, blocking Highway 444 for several hours. The situation escalated after midnight when large police, Yasam, and Border Police forces arrived near the "Torah B'Tiferet" and "Knesset Yechezkel" yeshivas.

During the confrontations, protesters threw stones, damaged police vehicles, and punctured patrol car tires. One police officer was injured in the head by a thrown stone, and the commander of the Rosh HaAyin police station was hit in the head by a bag of trash. Former Elad Mayor Israel Porush arrived at the scene and urged the crowd to disperse, while some rioters hung onto his vehicle.

To disperse the crowds, police deployed stun grenades, which student testimonies and Arutz Sheva reported were used inside yeshiva compounds, affecting non-protesters. Kikar HaShabbat reported that tear gas grenades were thrown into the yeshivas, injuring at least five students, with one hospitalized at Beilinson Hospital. Rabbis from the yeshivas were called to the scene to de-escalate the situation and prevent further violence.