Israel charged 2 settlers with allegedly engaging in espionage activities on behalf of Hezbollah
At least two Israeli settlers have been detained in occupied East Jerusalem on suspicion of providing intelligence to contacts associated with the Hezbollah resistance movement during Israel's military actions in Lebanon.
The Israeli Attorney’s Office has formally charged two individuals accused of establishing contact with operatives of a Lebanese organization. According to the indictment, the pair allegedly transmitted news articles concerning Israel’s security situation.
The indictment reveals that Abd al-Salam Qawasameh and Taar Asili were reportedly engaging in communications with a Hezbollah operative through a WhatsApp group. The document further alleges that the duo was approached to initiate conversations with a high-ranking officer within Hezbollah’s intelligence sector.
The individuals are currently facing charges related to “engagement with a foreign agent” and allegedly transmitting information to adversarial forces.
Qawasameh has been charged with weapons offenses after being photographed with an assault rifle owned by a Palestinian gunman during a visit to Jenin, a city in the occupied West Bank.
The individuals are additionally charged with transmitting photographs and videos from Caesarea, the location of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence.
According to the indictment, Qawasameh transmitted photographs of the coastal town of Caesarea to her Hezbollah handler, while Asili provided her with news articles concerning Israel and the prevailing security conditions.
The prosecution has requested that a district court in occupied al-Quds order the defendants to remain in custody until the conclusion of the legal proceedings.
In a development reported last month by Israeli media outlets, the Shin Bet security agency apprehended multiple individuals within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. These arrests are linked to allegations of leaking sensitive, classified information pertaining to military actions in Gaza.
Multiple individuals have been apprehended in connection with the unauthorized disclosure of classified documents originating from the Prime Minister’s Office. According to a previous report by Ynet, among those detained was a spokesperson affiliated with the PMO.
In October, Israeli prosecutors announced the apprehension of seven Jewish settlers located in the northern region of the occupied territories. These individuals are accused of undertaking assignments on behalf of Iran and collecting intelligence on Israel’s strategic installations.
Hezbollah has launched numerous retaliatory strikes in response to what it describes as Israeli aggression against Lebanon, successfully targeting a range of critical military sites within the occupied territories.
The Lebanese resistance movement has reported that more than 100 Israeli soldiers have died and over a thousand have been injured in recent strikes.
Regional resistance groups have asserted that the ceasefire recently established between Israel and Hezbollah has undermined what they describe as Prime Minister Netanyahu’s “illusion” of forcefully reshaping the geopolitical landscape of West Asia.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has recently criticized Israel for its ongoing breaches of the 60-day ceasefire agreement, asserting that the country is failing to fulfill its commitments.
