Man Jailed for Spying for Iran, Photographing Former Defense Minister's Home

A Haifa District Court has sentenced Fares Abu Al-Hija, 32, to 55 months in prison for espionage activities on behalf of Iran. He was convicted of contact with a foreign agent after carrying out several missions under Iranian direction, including photographing the home of former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Abu Al-Hija, from Kafr Kanna, communicated via Telegram between October 2025 and January 2026 with an individual he knew as "Martin." He performed six missions for "Martin," receiving thousands of dollars transferred via the Binance app. The indictment stated that Abu Al-Hija continued these activities even after suspecting he was dealing with a foreign agent, and chose not to investigate this suspicion.

The missions escalated over time. Abu Al-Hija acquired and hid cell phones and chargers in Haifa and Kiryat Haim, installed communication applications, and documented their hiding places. He also left an envelope containing a crypto account access code and 50 shekels under a vase in Zichron Yaakov, and photographed a Tel Aviv cafe from both inside and outside. Payments for these tasks ranged from $200 to $1,000.

The final mission involved Yoav Gallant. "Martin" provided Abu Al-Hija with four locations in the village of Amikam, near Gallant's home, and instructed him to photograph the streets and the surrounding area. On January 21, Abu Al-Hija went to the location, took photos and videos, and sent them to his handler. He was arrested shortly thereafter in Amikam. Gallant was not home at the time.

The court determined that Abu Al-Hija's actions were aimed at gathering intelligence on Israel and that their potential damage was high, even if no actual harm was proven. He was charged under a plea agreement that did not include a penalty component for contact with a foreign agent. In addition to the prison sentence, he received 24 months of probation and a fine of 10,000 shekels.