Israeli Man Sentenced to 4.5 Years for Spying for Iran

A Haifa Magistrate's Court has sentenced Fares Abu Al-Hija, a 32-year-old resident of Jisr az-Zarqa, to four and a half years in prison for contacting an Iranian foreign agent. Abu Al-Hija was convicted of repeatedly photographing crowded public places for Iranian intelligence. After proving his reliability, he was tasked with photographing the home of former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. He received approximately $3,000 for his espionage activities.

Abu Al-Hija was arrested earlier this year while on an intelligence-gathering mission. Investigations by the police and Shin Bet revealed his contact with an Iranian intelligence operative. The article also mentions other related cases: Sultan Abu Al-Hija, a 31-year-old from Tamra, faces security offense charges for allegedly contacting Hamas's military wing and Iranian intelligence, though he did not complete missions for the latter before his arrest. Additionally, a 32-year-old from Majd al-Krum was arrested on suspicion of similar offenses for a Lebanese agent, having been tasked with security missions and receiving payment through goods. Last month, prosecutors indicted Tamirlan Amshukov, 26, and Alina Kushnirenko, 24, an Ashkelon couple, for spying for Iran, collecting intelligence on various locations, including residences of security personnel and civilian and military infrastructure between April and July 2026.