Saudi Arabia stepping up arrests of Israel critics online

Saudi Arabia has reportedly stepped up its arrests of individuals over social media posts relating to Israel's war on Gaza as the kingdom may be inching closer to a deal that would normalise relations between the two countries.

Quoting people "inside and outside Saudi Arabia" with knowledge on the matter, Bloomberg reports that arrests include an executive with a company involved in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2023 economic transformation plan who expressed views on the Gaza war deemed to be incendiary.

A media figure who said Israel should never be forgiven for its actions in Gaza has also been detained, so has an individual who called for a boycott of American fast-food restaurants in the country.