Israeli police rescued two female Israel Defense Forces soldiers from a mob on Haggai Street in the predominantly ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, east of northern Tel Aviv, on Sunday afternoon, after a welfare-related visit by the troops sparked violent unrest, according to a police statement.
Police said officers from the Bnei Brak–Ramat Gan station rushed to the scene after receiving a report that “lawbreakers” had surrounded the soldiers as they carried out official welfare duties.
More images from the developing situation in the Haredi neighbourhood of Bnai Brak. pic.twitter.com/BG0CwAZqtU
— Amit Segal (@AmitSegal) February 15, 2026
The police extracted the soldiers and evacuated them to safety while additional units worked to restore order, the statement continued.
A helicopter was dispatched over Bnei Brak, and Israel Police Commissioner Daniel Levi came to the city.
During the confrontation, protesters confronted officers, hurled objects including garbage bins at patrol vehicles and set fire to a police motorcycle used for local patrols. Video clips shared on social media showed a helmet being thrown at a police officer hemmed in by a crowd, followed by footage of the motorcycle engulfed in flames.
Demonstrators also surrounded and overturned a police car amid the clashes.
There were no immediate reports of serious injuries, but the police motorcycle and patrol car sustained heavy damage before reinforcements dispersed the rioters.
Police subsequently arrested 23 people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “strongly” condemned the riots, saying that “this is an extremist minority that does not represent the entire Haredi community.
“This is a grave and unacceptable matter,” he stated. “We will not allow anarchy, and we will not tolerate any harm to IDF soldiers and security forces who carry out their duties with dedication and determination.”
Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, chief of staff of the IDF, said he “views with severity and strongly condemns the attack on female IDF soldiers who were carrying out a mission earlier today in the city of Bnei Brak.
“Any harm to IDF soldiers carried out by Israeli civilians constitutes a severe crossing of a red line, and the attackers must be dealt with firmly,” he said. “The chief of the General Staff expects that the attackers will face the full force of the law.”
The ultra-Orthodox Shas Party “strongly” condemned “the acts of violence, vandalism and rioting by a small group of extremists in Bnei Brak.
“These actions are completely contrary to the path of the Torah, harm the entire Haredi public, cause desecration of God’s name and inflict serious damage on the just struggle for the world of Torah,” the party said.
