From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 19, 2026
2 Palestinians arrested on suspicion of online incitement; police warn of surveillance ‘even during Ramadan’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Police say they arrested two Palestinian men on suspicion of online incitement during separate raids overnight in the southern West Bank.
During the arrests, officers put up leaflets near the homes of both suspects, warning residents that Israeli intelligence agents surveil Palestinian social media activity.
“Even during the month of Ramadan, Israeli intelligence forces monitor what you do on the internet,” the leaflet reads. “You have been warned.”
In a raid on Beit Ummar, a village north of Hebron, police nabbed a 26-year-old man who allegedly affiliated with Hamas and encouraged attacks against Israelis on the Telegram messaging app, confiscating his electronic devices and transferring him to interrogation.
The same night in al-Khader, south of Bethlehem, officers arrested a 20-year-old on similar suspicions, seizing his laptop, police say. He was also brought in for questioning by police.
Incitement to nationalist violence is a terrorism offense under Israeli law and those convicted often face prison time.
Most of Beit Ummar falls within Area B of the West Bank, meaning the Palestinian Authority exercises civil authority over village residents, while Israel maintains security control. Most of Al-Khader is located in Area C, under full Israeli control.
The Times of Israel Community.