Saudi Arabia has stepped up the arrest of citizens for social media posts related to the Israeli bombardment of Gaza as the kingdom signals a readiness to agree to diplomatic relations with the Jewish state — if it commits to Palestinian statehood, Bloomberg reports.

Detaining people for online comments — even those more than 10 years old — and restrictions on free speech and political expression are the norm in Saudi Arabia.

Yet the recent spate of arrests are motivated by security concerns specifically linked to the October 7 invasion of Israel by Hamas and its aftermath, according to Riyadh-based diplomats and human rights groups.

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