The Israel Defense Forces filed 303 indictments for online terror incitement in Judea and Samaria in 2024, compared to 60 to 70 per year before Oct. 7, 2023, according to Hebrew media.

In 2015, during the peak of the so-called “Knife Intifada” terror attacks, 150 indictments were filed for online terror incitement, according to Ynet.

A special division was set up under the IDF’s Central Command to tackle online incitement in the wake of the Oct. 7 massacre, the report stated. The division is led by members of the Military Prosecution in the Judea and Samaria Division, along with intelligence personnel and operational officers, under OC Central Command Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth.

“Before the war, this subject fell between the cracks. It requires the coordination of various agencies. Right after Oct. 7, we observed a significant increase of incitement online. We saw people praising terrorists and Hamas’s surprise attack, with the increase consisting of women,” a senior Military Prosecution official told Ynet.

“There is legal complexity in this matter, and it is important to understand what falls under incitement,” the official explained.

“Suppose we find incitement in a Facebook post—after that, we need to actually ‘capture’ the page. Technological tools are used here; taking a screenshot is not enough. We investigate the page, scroll back and gather as much evidence as possible to identify a pattern of incitement. It’s a complex process,” the official continued.

A military order issued by Bluth has established a minimum sentence of one year in prison, at least half of which must be served.

While Israel’s efforts are bearing fruit with a general decrease in online incitement, this is partly due to people learning how to word their messages more carefully to avoid legal action, as well as opting for social media platforms that are more difficult to monitor, the official told Ynet.

Image -  Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90