Israel Police say Palestinian who spat on IDF soldier in central Israel is in its custody

A Palestinian man who spat on an IDF soldier and then reportedly turned himself in to the Palestinian Authority is now in the hands of the Israel Police, the force says in a statement.

Police say the man, a resident of the northern West Bank town of Huwara, turned himself in to Civil Administration military and police forces, adding that he’s been taken for questioning.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir touts the arrest on social media, tweeting a photo of the arrest and writing: “Zero tolerance toward those who harm IDF soldiers.”

אפס סובלנות במי שיפגע בחיילי צה"ל pic.twitter.com/u1BhfTCXIa

— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) May 18, 2025

The soldier had been on the way to her IDF base on a bus from Tel Aviv to Ramat Gan when she moved away from a young man listening to videos in Arabic.

A young man spits on an Israeli female soldier before getting off the bus. #Israel #IDF #WestBank #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/XO4zC7urya

— Ali Shunnaq (@schunnaq) May 18, 2025

“At some point, I moved to another seat because I was uncomfortable hearing that music,” she recounted to the Walla news outlet.

“Then, when he got up to get off at a stop — I believe on Herzl Street in Ramat Gan — he stood next to me, spat in my face, and got off the bus,” she said.

Charlie Summers contributed to this report.