A man was arrested for allegedly attempting to ignite an open field in southern Jerusalem, Israel Police announced on Wednesday. A civilian reported the suspect, a man in his 50s from Umm Tuba, a neighborhood in East Jerusalem, and the man was caught after a short pursuit.

"A lighter, cotton, and additional incendiary materials were found in his possession. The suspect, in his 50s, was taken in for questioning," police stated.

Earlier in the day, Hamas and other terrorist groups attempted to incite arson attacks on Israeli communities within the West Bank through online posts. 

Yossi Dagan, the head of the Yesha council in the West Bank, begs the Minister of Defense and senior IDF command for an immediate preventative lockdown of all Palestinian villages in the West Bank. This is a direct response to the online campaign by Hamas to burn down farms and groves next to Israeli communities. 

Yossi Dagan (L) standing with IDF Central Command chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth (R). (credit: COURTESY OF THE SAMARIA REGIONAL COUNCIL.)
Yossi Dagan (L) standing with IDF Central Command chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth (R). (credit: COURTESY OF THE SAMARIA REGIONAL COUNCIL.)
"The threat to burn farms isn't just rhetoric—it’s a slippery slope that could result in direct harm to farms, settlements in Judea and Samaria, and cities near the Green Line...Every minute the state chooses not to act brings us closer to disaster. There’s no point in waiting for the outrageous threats from the PA and its operatives to be carried out. It’s time to impose a preventive, powerful, and deterrent lockdown—before it’s too late."

Statements from Dan Illouz

Shortly after Dagan's statement, Likud MK Dan Illouz also requested that the government impose a lockdown in the West Bank as well. 

"These arson calls on Arab networks are a declaration of war—not a protest, not a demonstration—terrorism," he wrote. "They want to see our forests burning, our communities destroyed, our country on its knees. Every moment of restraint puts civilian lives at risk. I demand that the government impose an immediate lockdown on Judea and Samaria and respond with an iron fist. Don’t wait for an attack—prevent it. We've learned the lesson from both ancient and recent history."