The Palestinian Authority mayor of Hebron was arrested by Israeli security forces on suspicion of supporting and inciting terror, Hebrew media reported on Tuesday.
Tayseer Abu Sneineh was taken into Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) custody on Tuesday morning after expressing support for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, according to Channel 12 News.
Pending the investigation, Abu Sneineh is reportedly being held in administrative detention.
The Israel Defense Forces’ Spokesperson’s Unit confirmed to JNS that the matter fell under the Shin Bet’s authority. The internal security agency did not respond to a JNS request for comment on Tuesday.
In 1980, Abu Sneineh took part in a terrorist ambush in Hebron in which six civilians, including two Americans and a Canadian, were killed and 16 others wounded. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Abu Sneineh was freed in 1983 under a prisoner-exchange deal between Israel and Palestinian terror organizations. After his return to Hebron, he was elected mayor of the Judea city in 2017 on a Fatah ticket, later forming his own independent list in subsequent municipal elections.
