Palestinian teacher arrested in West Bank over posts praising terrorists, October 7 attack

Israel Police in the West Bank opened an investigation into a Palestinian schoolteacher in his 30s on suspicion of incitement and expressing support for a terrorist organization following a series of social media posts allegedly glorifying terrorism, police said in a statement.

According to police, Israeli security agencies have been monitoring social media platforms to identify individuals suspected of inciting violence, supporting terrorism, or glorifying terrorists. The efforts involve cooperation among multiple security agencies, from gathering intelligence on suspects to carrying out arrests and other operations.After identifying the posts, IDF troops raided the suspect's home in the West Bank village of Tell, arrested him, and transferred him for questioning.Palestinian teacher suspected of months of online incitement to terrorismInvestigators found that the suspect had allegedly spent months publishing social media posts inciting terrorism, praising terrorist organizations, and expressing support for security prisoners, police said.Among the posts was a photograph of a memorial dedicated to four terrorists who opened fire in an agricultural area near the village, killing Capt. (res.)

Benayahu Melet and Maj. Yuval Ezra. The memorial bore the inscription "The Garden of the Martyrs," and the suspect wrote alongside the image: "May Allah have mercy on you, forgive you, accept you, and grant you a place in the highest levels of His paradise."In another post, he referred to the terrorists as "My brothers, my loved ones, and my cousins, the martyrs who sacrificed their lives on the soil of the homeland, charging forward and not retreating."Investigators also uncovered posts allegedly glorifying the October 7 massacre.

In the days following the attack, the suspect shared an illustration depicting a Hamas terrorist on a paraglider.Following his interrogation, the suspect was taken into custody. Police are expected to bring him before a court and request an extension of his detention as the investigation continues.Three Hebron residents arrested over posts praising terrorist attackThe investigation comes amid broader efforts by Israeli security forces to identify and arrest individuals suspected of inciting violence online.Three Hebron residents were arrested overnight on Sunday on suspicion of expressing support on social media for a terrorist attack in the West Bank on Friday, which killed St.-Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, as well as for Hamas.According to police, the suspects shared photographs of the terrorists alongside messages praising them and songs glorifying their actions.

One of the suspects referred to the shooting as "Operation Hebron."Their social media activity was monitored by the IDF's Central Command, and security forces subsequently raided their homes overnight and arrested them.Police said they would continue taking action against incitement and support for terrorism, both in public spaces and online, particularly posts expressing support for attacks against security forces.Hodaya Ran contributed to this report.