Police to charge suspect in string of attacks on media offices

Police said Sunday that they will indict a Ramat Gan man for allegedly carrying out a string of recent attacks on the offices of several media outlets frequently critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on charges including extortion and vandalism.

According to the police statement, Avraham Hadi, 44, is suspected of hurling bricks that damaged the entrances to the offices of Channel 12, which was targeted twice, as well as Haaretz and Israel Hayom. He also is suspected of throwing a brick through the door of a Justice Ministry office, police said.

In his most recent alleged attack on the Channel 12 offices on July 28, he left a threatening letter when he smashed the entrance, warning that “someone will die” if the network doesn’t apologize for airing leaked footage purporting to show Israeli soldiers severely abusing a Gazan prisoner at the Sde Teiman detention center.

That footage was leaked to the network in the summer of 2024 by then-military advocate general Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who has since resigned after admitting to initiating the leak. Many right-wing politicians have cast the leaking of the footage and Channel 12’s reporting on it as a blood libel against Israeli troops.

In a pre-indictment court filing, police said Sunday that Hadi will be charged with property damage and extortion by threat in the coming days.

Hadi was arrested on July 30, when officers who searched his home located “articles of clothing and other findings that linked him” to five instances of vandalism throughout July, according to police.

רעול פנים מנפץ את דלת הכניסה למערכת "הארץ" pic.twitter.com/NkSIAkN9kQ

— הארץ חדשות (@haaretznewsvid) July 8, 2026

The attacks on media outlets sought to “deter and threaten the outlets’ coverage,” police said. “Freedom of the press is one of the foundations of democracy, and the Israel Police will act with force and determination against anyone who tries to use violence, bullying or intimidation to muzzle freedom of expression.”

According to Hebrew media reports, Hadi had already been arrested a number of times for vandalism, once for allegedly spray-painting the message “the blood of the soldiers will be cleared for publication” outside the Tel Aviv offices of Channel 13 in November.

He was also arrested on suspicion of daubing the messages “only God” on the outer wall of the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv some three years ago, and “tabernacle of deceit, evil, immorality, harlotry and adultery” on the city’s magistrate court in February. He was also accused in a separate case of pepper-spraying a secretary and a receptionist at a Bnei Brak law firm amid a debt collection procedure.

Channel 12, Haaretz, other targeted media outlets, Israel’s top journalism union, opposition lawmakers, and some coalition MKs have condemned the attacks.

After the most recent attack on its offices, Channel 12 accused the government of inciting against the press, saying: “The government and the communications minister must cease its inciting and unrestrained condemnations of the free media, which are leading to grave actions.”

“The police must act immediately to stop this dangerous violence ahead of time. We will not be deterred, whether by legislation, incitement, or violence,” the network continued.

During his tenure, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi has frequently assailed outlets critical of the government and pushed highly controversial media overhauls that would give the state more control over their reach.