Israel-Palestine war: Israeli forces arrest Palestinian singer Dalal Abu Amneh

Israeli forces arrested Palestinian singer Dalal Abu Amneh over alleged claims of “incitement” after she posted in support of Gaza. 

The singer, who has more than 300,000 followers on Instagram, was arrested on Monday night at her home in Nazareth. 

Amneh’s lawyers told the Arab 48 website that Israeli police had interrogated her but said “no official decision has been taken to extend her detention”.

The last two social media posts on Amneh’s Instagram account before she made it private included links to charities working in Gaza and posts saying “Lord, grant me relief and mercy” and “There’s no victor except God" . The latter is a reference to a verse from the Quran.

According to local media outlets, Abu Amneh, a mother of two, had previously filed a complaint over harassment by Israeli settler groups.

The singer, who was born in Nazareth, is also a trained neuroscientist and is known for her patriotic songs about Palestine, including Ehne Flestinia. 

Her arrest comes as Israeli security forces intensify their security campaign against Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and parts of Israel after Hamas launched a surprise attack into southern Israel. 

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Dozens of Palestinians in Israel have either been arrested or are under investigation for social media posts and activism in support of the residents of Gaza.

In a statement sent to Middle East Eye, Adalah, which advocates for Arab rights in Israel, said: "We are receiving reports of unlawful arrests, often carried out with brutal force in the middle of the night, and without proper legal justification, and solely on the basis of social media posts in the majority of cases, some just for expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza, or even for sharing verses from the Quran.

"These arrests, as well as steps by Israeli universities and colleges to suspend, expel, or initiate disciplinary proceedings against Palestinian students for social media posts, and by workplaces to justify suspensions or terminations, are all part of a harsh crackdown on the freedom of legitimate expression by Palestinian citizens of Israel."

Besides official harassment, extremist Jewish groups are also targeting Palestinians with threats, as well as reporting them to their employers and schools.

Middle East Eye previously reported on Palestinian students in Israeli universities being suspended and investigated for expressing sentiments that go against the Israeli government and military.

Since then, Israeli forces began a bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip, killing 1,981, including 1,000 children. 

The Palestinian health ministry said Israeli forces had killed at least 58 Palestinians, including 17 children, with more than 1,250 injured in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since last Saturday.