From the Liveblog of
Sunday, October 12, 2025
IDF cracks down on shows of Hamas support in West Bank
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Ahead of the upcoming release of 250 Palestinian security prisoners as part of the hostage deal with Hamas, Israeli defense authorities say they detained more than a dozen suspects in the West Bank who participated in a march in support of the terror group and other “terror incitement.”
Over the weekend, the IDF and Border Police say forces were dispatched to several villages in the Ramallah area where gatherings in support of Hamas were held.
The troops operated in Silwad and Nil’in to disperse the crowds, seize vehicles with “terror incitement flags,” and remove Hamas flags. Eight suspects who participated in the march were detained, the military and police say.
Separately, seven more suspects were detained for alleged terror incitement, including Abd al-Aziz Khamayseh, who, according to Israeli authorities, manages a social media page with tens of thousands of followers, where he spreads “inciteful content that encourages terrorism.”
Khamayseh is the brother of Islam Khamayseh, a Palestinian terrorist behind a deadly shooting attack, who was killed in an airstrike in May 2024.
The IDF, Shin Bet, Border Police, and the Civil Administration say they are prepared to continue to prevent “incitement and events supporting terrorism in the framework of the release of the terrorists.”
Israeli authorities say they also began this morning to make warning calls to the families of the security prisoners set to be released, warning them against celebrations.
The Times of Israel Community.