A Palestinian man, 24, from the West Bank town of Huwara has turned himself in to Israeli security authorities following an incident where he was captured on video spitting on a female Israeli reserve officer aboard a public bus in Ramat Gan. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, triggered widespread condemnation and prompted a police search operation.
WILD FOOTAGE ?
Disgraceful: A Palestinian man was caught on video spitting right in the face of an IDF female officer.
Find this man. pic.twitter.com/PHGjdBHOWG
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) May 18, 2025
The suspect then surrendered himself to the IDF Civil Administration on Monday and was subsequently transferred to police custody for interrogation. He faces potential charges of assault and illegally entering Israeli territory. Authorities later transported him to the Ramat Gan-Bnei Brak police station, with expectations that he would appear before a Tel Aviv court where prosecutors would request an extension of his detention and file formal charges.
The female officer, identified as Reserve Captain Tamar Galliduani, 29, filed an official complaint with police following the assault. She explained that the man had been seated near her playing videos at high volume during the journey. After she relocated to another seat, he approached her and unexpectedly spat directly on her face. "The spit wasn't just on me," she stated. "It was on the uniform of the IDF, on what it represents."
How it started and how it ended.
This animal spat on a female IDF soldier this morning on a bus and then ran away, as they do.
Tonight, he was arrested.
Hope he is treated like a full blown terrorist. pic.twitter.com/6qZZJ65VdF
— Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld) May 18, 2025
Captain Galliduani, who regularly travels from Tel Aviv to Ramat Gan for her reserve service, expressed relief that the confrontation did not escalate into physical violence but emphasized that it still constituted "a serious assault." She voiced her hope that the perpetrator would face appropriate consequences: "This must serve as a deterrent to others. Soldiers should be proud of their uniforms – and safe wearing them."
Law enforcement initially encountered difficulties locating the suspect because he had not purchased a bus ticket, leaving no transaction records that could help identify him. In response, Ramat Gan Mayor Carmel Shama announced an 18,000-shekel reward for information leading to the suspect's apprehension, characterizing the spitting attack on a uniformed military personnel as "vile" and "potentially nationalist in nature."
Following the arrest, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir personally contacted Galliduani by phone and condemned the incident in strong terms. "This is a serious event that cannot be ignored," he declared. "An attack on a uniformed officer is a red line and an attack on the IDF as a whole." Mayor Shama further commented on the incident, stating that "such violent outbursts, with no personal provocation and seemingly nationalist motives, demonstrate a clear danger to the public – whether the attacker is Arab or Jewish, a terrorist or disturbed. The danger remains."
