Court frees all suspects after ultra-Orthodox mob chased female IDF soldiers

Israeli courts have released all 28 ultra-Orthodox men and teenagers arrested after a violent riot in Bnei Brak in which two female IDF soldiers were chased through the streets by a large mob.

The unrest erupted on Sunday after the soldiers entered the strictly Orthodox city, which the army later described as a routine welfare visit. Rumours that they were distributing military draft notices quickly spread, drawing hundreds of men into the streets.

Video footage showed the women fleeing as police attempted to shield them, with rioters shouting, kicking bins and throwing stones. One of the soldiers later told Israeli media she hid in rubbish bins to escape the crowd.

During the violence, five police officers were lightly injured, a patrol car was overturned, and a police motorcycle was set on fire. Officers used stun grenades to disperse the mob.

Police confirmed that 28 people were detained, including four minors. All have now been released.

Shlomo Hadad, a lawyer representing the suspects, told The Times of Israel that his clients were freed because there was “no evidence for anything”, describing the arrests as a “show for the media”.

However, Israeli outlet Ynet reported that two of those detained were placed under five days of house arrest after the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court found “reasonable suspicion” that they had assaulted a police officer.

Tel Aviv District police commander Haim Sargaroff said officers were still searching for those responsible for overturning the patrol car and setting the motorcycle alight.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the violence, stressing it did not represent the wider Haredi community. “We will not allow anarchy, and we will not tolerate any harm to IDF service members and security forces personnel who carry out their duties with dedication and determination,” he said.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions over military conscription following a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that ended long-standing draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid warned that the violence reflected a broader pattern. “What we saw yesterday in Bnei Brak is not an isolated phenomenon,” he said in the Knesset. “You are permitting (the shedding of) the blood of the IDF. You are against the IDF.”

IDF Chief of Staff Lt-Gen Eyal Zamir condemned the attack, calling any harm to soldiers by civilians “a serious crossing of a red line” and demanding full enforcement of the law.