Israeli Citizen Sentenced to 55 Months for Spying for Iran

A Haifa District Court has sentenced Fares Abu Al-Hija, 32, to 55 months in prison, 24 months suspended sentence, and a NIS 10,000 fine for espionage activities on behalf of Iran. Abu Al-Hija, from Kafr Kanna, was convicted of contact with a foreign agent after carrying out a series of intelligence missions under Iranian direction. The court determined his actions significantly harmed national security, governmental mechanisms, and public peace.

His final mission involved surveilling the home of former Defense Minister Benny Gantz. On January 21, his handler, identifying himself as "Martin," instructed Abu Al-Hija to photograph the area around Gantz's home in the village of Amikam. Abu Al-Hija complied, took photos and videos, and was arrested shortly after transmitting them. Gantz was not home at the time, but had previously been evacuated from the residence due to security threats.

The communication with the Iranian handler occurred via Telegram between October 2025 and January 2026. The indictment stated that Abu Al-Hija continued his activities even after suspecting he was dealing with a foreign agent, and did not investigate further. He received payments ranging from $200 to $1,000 per mission, transferred through the Binance app.

Prior to his arrest, Abu Al-Hija conducted other intelligence tasks across Israel. This included purchasing and hiding cell phones and chargers in Haifa and Kiryat Haim, installing communication apps, and documenting hiding spots. He also left an envelope with a crypto account code and NIS 50 under a vase in Zichron Yaakov, and photographed a cafe in Tel Aviv. The sentencing emphasized the high potential for damage from his actions, even if no actual harm was proven.