Islam Times - Saudi Authorities Arrest Iraqi Officer for Criticizing Israel during Pilgrimage

Islam Times - Saudi authorities have detained Lieutenant Colonel Omar Nizar, an officer in Iraq’s elite Rapid Response Forces, after he posted a video criticizing Israel during his pilgrimage to Mecca, according to reports.

Nizar was arrested after sharing a video on social media in which he prayed for the victory of Palestinians in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, The New Arab reported.

The video is believed to be the cause of his arrest, and it has since been widely circulated online.

The Iraqi officer has been referred to the Saudi State Security Agency (SSA), though his fate remains uncertain, his lawyer told Iraq’s state television.

The Saudi government has not allowed open criticism of Israel since the Israeli military launched a genocidal war in Gaza on October last year.

According to official figures, the death toll has reached nearly 42,000, with around 100,000 injured and 10,000 reported missing. The majority of casualties are women and children, health officials confirmed.

In addition to the staggering loss of life, Gaza has experienced a severe humanitarian crisis, with the healthcare system on the verge of collapse.

A recent report by the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor estimated that 10 percent of Gaza’s population has been killed, injured, gone missing, or been detained due to Israeli military actions.

The report outlined acts of genocide, including the targeted killing of civilians in homes, shelters, and displacement camps.

Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its military campaign in Lebanon in recent weeks. On September 27, an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut killed Hezbollah Secretary General Seyed Hassan Nasrallah.

More than 2,000 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon, with thousands displaced, particularly in the country’s southern region.

As Palestinian resistance groups and their allies in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq continue operations against Israel, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries have remained silent on Israel's criminal actions.

Instead, Saudi media have criticized Hamas and Hezbollah, blaming them for the violence in Gaza and Lebanon.