The Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court on Sunday extended by four days the detention of Omar Dar Daoud, a 19-year-old resident of Jerusalem, who was arrested Saturday night near Ben Shemen Forest, close to Modi’in. He is suspected of committing arson with a nationalistic motive and of possessing drugs not intended for personal use.
During the court hearing, a police representative said: “Last night, a citizen reported seeing two individuals on a scooter at the side of the road, appearing to set fire to something and throwing it into the area near the road. He immediately contacted the police hotline, slowed his vehicle and maintained visual contact with the suspects while staying on the line with dispatch.”
The citizen directed officers to the scooter, and shortly afterward, Daoud and another teenage suspect with him were arrested.
“During a search of their belongings and the scooter, various types of drugs were found. They were detained at the scene and taken in for questioning,” the officer said. According to the police, Daoud claimed he had come to the area to purchase drugs through an app for personal use and denied stopping at the roadside or attempting to ignite anything. The arrest occurred around 11:30 p.m. Saturday night.
Daoud’s attorney, Itzik Sadeh of the Public Defense, asked the police representative during the hearing whether any incendiary materials were found in his client’s possession. The officer replied that no such materials were discovered, nor were there signs of a fire in the area.
“There is no evidence that he started a fire,” Sadeh argued. “No flammable material was found at the scene, and there’s no proof that anything was thrown with the intent to ignite.”
Despite this, Judge Ronit Cohen ruled to extend the suspect’s detention, stating there is reasonable suspicion linking him to the alleged offenses. She emphasized that the charges carry grounds for detention due to public danger, particularly “in light of the massive wildfires that broke out in Israel over the past week.”
Sadeh noted that Daoud has no prior criminal record. An appeal against the court’s decision has been filed, with a hearing expected to take place Monday.
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According to the Fire and Rescue Authority, a special investigation team has begun probing the causes of the recent fires, and in-depth inquiries are underway. During a speech at the International Bible Contest on Independence Day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that 18 individuals had been arrested on suspicion of arson. However, police later clarified that this statement was incorrect.
So far, the Fire Authority has not issued an official determination on the cause of the wildfires. One suspect was arrested in a separate incident in southern Jerusalem, where he allegedly attempted to start a fire following the outbreak of multiple blazes. At this time, there is no indication that the fires were deliberately set.