This week, a short video shared on social media set off a chain of events that ended with arrests carried out near Jerusalem. According to police, content uploaded to Instagram and other platforms crossed the line from online expression into suspected incitement, prompting a targeted security operation by Israeli forces.
The arrests were made this week during a preemptive operation conducted by the Judea District special police unit, in cooperation with the IDF’s Judea Brigade and under intelligence guidance from Central Command. Police say the suspects, residents of the villages of Dura and a-Duwayra–Bani Na’im, both located near Jerusalem, were identified as having published content online that allegedly encouraged violence against the State of Israel.
Both suspects were detained and transferred this week to the Hebron police station for questioning, where investigators are examining the scope of their online activity and its potential implications beyond the digital sphere.
How does online incitement turn into an arrest near Jerusalem?
In the first case this week, police units operated in the village of a-Duwayra–Bani Na’im, near Jerusalem, following precise intelligence direction from a regional command center. A suspect in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of publishing content on social media that encouraged attacks against Israel. According to police, the individual is believed to be affiliated with Hamas.
Later this week, during continued overnight operations, police arrested a second suspect in the village of Dura, also near Jerusalem. He was detained on suspicion of posting inciting content across multiple platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Telegram. Police say this suspect is also believed to be linked to Hamas and to have promoted violent activity in the West Bank.
During searches conducted this week at the time of the arrests, officers seized mobile phones and a computer that were allegedly used to distribute the inciting material. The devices were taken for further forensic examination as part of the ongoing investigation.
At the conclusion of the operation, police said: “Throughout this week, Israeli police, in cooperation with all security forces, have acted to prevent incitement on social media. We will continue to operate decisively against anyone who uses digital platforms to encourage harm to the State of Israel.”
They incited on social networks and were arrested near Jerusalem pic.twitter.com/LdnXHB2wYY
— jerusalem online (@Jlmonline) January 5, 2026
