IDF Arrests Hebron Mayor Tayseer Abu Sneineh for Allegedly Inciting Terrorism
Israeli troops arrested Hebron Mayor Tayseer Abu Sneineh in a predawn raid on Tuesday, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources.
Abu Sneineh, convicted of murdering six Israelis in 1980, was taken from his home in Hebron. Palestinian media outlets said soldiers forced entry, searched the property, and placed him in administrative detention. Israeli authorities said the arrest was linked to his ongoing involvement in terror activity, including incitement and support for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
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The Hebron Municipality issued a statement condemning the raid, saying Israeli forces “violated the sanctity” of the mayor’s home and caused significant damage. “This blatant assault not only targets a mayor, but it targets the will of the people of Hebron City and its elected institutions,” the council wrote, urging international organizations to pressure Israel for his release.
In contrast, the Israeli Municipality of Hebron welcomed the operation. Councilor Eyal Gelman said the arrest highlighted “the duty of the State of Israel to take back the reins and appoint itself mayor, as was before the Hebron Accord in 1997. The time has come to unite the city again under complete Israeli control.”
The Palestinian Authority also denounced the arrest, warning it was especially dangerous given Abu Sneineh’s role as head of the largest Palestinian municipality. Officials linked the move to broader Israeli military activity in Hebron, including raids on schools and detentions of students and teachers.
Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli forces arrested 13 people in villages near Nablus, with residents reporting property damage and one person injured. In Tamun, counterterrorism police carried out a targeted strike, killing a suspect described as part of a terrorist cell preparing an attack.
