A new espionage case has come to light today (Tuesday), involving seven east Jerusalem residents who were arrested in September. The suspects are accused of planning serious attacks, including assassinations targeting a senior nuclear scientist and a mayor in central Israel. According to investigators, the cell was promised approximately $55,000 for the assassinations.
The primary suspect, a 23-year-old from Beit Safafa, confessed during interrogation to establishing contact with an Iranian operative, acknowledging he was working with an enemy state. He admitted to receiving funds from the Iranians and passing crucial information to the cell while recruiting relatives for various missions. According to his testimony, his motives were nationalistic, and he sought to harm the state. He also stated that his connection with the Iranian operative made him feel empowered.
During searches of the suspects' homes, police seized approximately $14,000, a counterfeit police license plate, and numerous credit cards.
The suspects, aged 19-23, began with relatively simple tasks such as spray-painting graffiti before progressing to more dangerous missions. Their activities included setting fire to two vehicles in Jerusalem, attempting to attack police vehicles, and planning to throw a grenade at a soldier's home – an operation that was ultimately not carried out. As part of their assigned tasks, the suspects spray-painted graffiti associated with the hostages' protest slogans, including messages such as "[Bring them home] now."
Despite his involvement, the suspect was not active in known Iranian groups, and no security-sensitive materials were found in his possession. Prosecutors plan to charge him with aiding an enemy during wartime, along with terrorism-related charges based on his actions and confessions during interrogation.
Investigators discovered that the suspects knew the soldier whose home they planned to attack with a grenade. One cell member was acquainted with the Jewish soldier in Jerusalem, and they had begun planning the attack and acquired grenades, but the plot was thwarted before execution. The cell had reached advanced stages of weapons acquisition, including grenades and firearms, intended for attacks against civilians and property.
Their primary assigned missions included assassinating a mayor of a city in central Israel and a senior Israeli nuclear scientist, aiming to demonstrate their capability to conduct such operations against Israel.
Each suspect has been linked to various incidents, with some facing more serious charges than others. The method of recruitment – whether through online means or other channels – remains under investigation. Indictments are expected tomorrow, including serious charges of aiding an enemy during wartime and conspiracy to commit attacks.
Further investigation revealed no involvement of Turkish or Russian entities, unlike in other cases. The connection was directly between the Iranian operative and the cell's main operative. Regarding the planned assassination of the mayor, the cell received detailed information from the Iranian contact and conducted field surveillance. They managed to gather information about their target but were arrested before executing their plan.
The investigation also revealed that the Iranian representative did not seek information about Israel's nuclear facility but intended to demonstrate Iran's ability to target Israeli officials, hence ordering the assassination of a senior nuclear scientist. The suspects, arrested in Beit Safafa, had no prior security or criminal records and were not affiliated with known organizations.
Investigators learned that some suspects approached the senior scientist's residence and, for approximately $140, photographed the location to facilitate the planned assassination.
While financial gain wasn't the sole motivation, the young suspects acted on nationalistic grounds, receiving minimal compensation for basic tasks. They understood the implications of their actions and the risk to national security.
Upon completing the investigation, prosecutors gathered sufficient evidence against the suspects and filed a prosecutor's statement earlier this week. Their detention has been extended until Oct. 24, and the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office is expected to file indictments for serious security offenses.
According to a senior Shin Bet official, "Intelligence gathered by the security establishment indicates that scientists, mayors, senior defense officials, and other Israeli officials are targeted by Iranian entities."
This investigation once again exposes Iran's efforts to recruit and exploit Israeli citizens and residents, including east Jerusalem residents, to advance attacks in Israel. Israel's security agencies, including the Shin Bet and Israel Police, will continue their collaborative efforts to detect Iranian activity and prosecute all those involved in such operations to the fullest extent of the law.
The police stated: "The Jerusalem District Police and the Shin Bet continue to focus their counterterrorism efforts against threats at all times and locations, working to protect Israeli citizens. In recent days, following another joint investigation, an indictment was filed against a suspect from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in east Jerusalem, who had planned an attack against hostages' families protesters in Tel Aviv."
It was revealed on Monday that seven Jewish Israelis, including two minors, have been detained since September on suspicion of spying for Iran. They allegedly operated for hundreds of thousands of shekels, and today prosecutors filed a statement requesting their detention until the end of proceedings. Security officials are still trying to understand how they operated under the radar for about two years without detection by the Shin Bet, IDF, police, and Mossad.
