A Palestinian family's wedding in the city of Umm al-Fahm was raided by Israeli police. Officers entered the hall on suspicion that weapons had been fired during the celebration and used stun grenades.
The officers ordered guests to lie on the ground and searched the wedding hall. The police left the scene after the search without making any arrests.
Reaction from the groom's father
The groom's father, Mustafa al-Afen, said police suddenly entered the hall while his son's wedding was being celebrated. Al-Afen said the officers threw stun grenades, forced guests to lie on the ground and searched the hall.
Al-Afen said chairs were broken during the search and that police spoke to guests in a rude manner. He maintained that no gunshots had been heard at the wedding and that no other illegal activity had taken place.
Al-Afen said people in Arab communities were experiencing pressure and hardship because of murders and armed attacks. He said weddings and other happy occasions should not be turned into crime scenes.
Police statement
Israeli police said the raid was conducted on suspicion that weapons had been fired in celebration during the wedding. People who attended the wedding said they had not heard gunshots before the raid and that no other illegal activity had taken place.
Data on Palestinian citizens
As of Tuesday, 188 Palestinians in Israel had been killed since the beginning of 2026. Police are accused of being negligent in combating crime and allowing perpetrators to go unpunished.
According to official Israeli statistics, the number of Palestinian citizens in the country is 2.157 million. This population accounts for 21.1 percent of the total population, which exceeds 10.244 million.
Palestinian citizens say Israeli governments have pursued policies of exclusion and neglect toward them in the areas of rights, the economy and politics.
