Authorities arrested a man on Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation into the large-scale brush fires that broke out west of Yerushalayim. While speculation grew—especially on Palestinian social media—that the fires may have been deliberately set, officials stated by Wednesday evening that it was still too soon to determine whether arson had indeed caused the outbreaks.
The suspect, a 50-year-old man from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Umm Tuba, was apprehended after allegedly attempting to ignite dry brush in southern Yerushalayim, according to police.
Police said the arrest followed a tip from someone who reportedly saw an individual trying to set a fire. Officers from the Oz station in East Jerusalem brought the suspect in for questioning.
According to police, the suspect tried to escape when approached but was captured shortly after a brief chase. Officers said they found a lighter, cotton wool, and additional combustible items in his possession.
The arrest came at the same time as a wave of incitement online, with Palestinian social media accounts urging individuals to ignite fires across Israel during its Independence Day celebrations. The holiday coincided with extreme weather—scorching temperatures and high winds—that quickly turned any spark into a dangerous blaze, forcing the evacuation of several communities and leading to the cancellation of many public events.
One such post appeared on Shehab, a channel linked to Hamas, which read: “There are popular calls to set fire to forests near the settlements.” Hamas refers to all Jewish population centers—within both pre- and post-1967 lines—as settlements.
Another message, shared widely on X, called for widespread arson: “Your role is to set fire to gardens, vehicles and everything around the settlements.”
In response to these online provocations, Religious Zionism MK Zvi Sukkot issued a formal appeal to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. In his letter, he urged the imposition of curfews and lockdowns on Palestinian villages throughout the West Bank.
“There is a real concern, based on past experience, that Palestinians will try to ignite more fires in Judea and Samaria and throughout Israel… To prevent such occurrences, a curfew must be imposed immediately on Judea and Samaria, and a blockade must be imposed on the Palestinian villages,” Sukkot wrote, using the biblical term for the region.
Echoing these concerns, settler leader Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, and Likud Member of Knesset Dan Illouz also called for immediate action.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu was actively monitoring the situation, receiving constant updates, conducting security assessments, and staying in contact with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and senior firefighting and security officials.
The Shin Bet domestic security service, usually responsible for thwarting terror threats, confirmed it was participating in the investigation.
The agency said it was assisting police efforts to identify and locate any additional individuals suspected of deliberately starting fires.

{Matzav.com Israel}