Israeli Man Sentenced to 4.5 Years for Spying for Iran

A 32-year-old resident of northern Israel has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison for espionage on behalf of Iran. The court's verdict, announced Tuesday, September 22, stated that the man, Fares Abu-el-Hijja from the village of Kaokab Abu-el-Hijja, gathered intelligence on former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, including photographing his residence in the village of Amikam, at the behest of an Iranian agent. Abu-el-Hijja pleaded guilty and was convicted as part of a plea deal for contacting an agent of a hostile state. The indictment was filed in February 2026.

According to the indictment, from October 2025 to January 2026, Abu-el-Hijja communicated via Telegram with an individual identifying as "Martin," carrying out various tasks for payment in cryptocurrency through the Binance app. Although he suspected his contact was an agent of a foreign intelligence service, he chose not to inquire further. His assignments included purchasing and hiding mobile phones and chargers at multiple locations in Haifa and Kiryat Haim, activating them, installing communication apps, documenting the hiding spots, and relaying this information to his handler. He was later instructed to deliver an envelope containing a cryptocurrency account access code at a specific location in Zichron Yaakov and to photograph a cafe in Tel Aviv.

The prosecution sought a sentence of five to eight years, arguing the defendant acted for financial gain during wartime with significant potential damage. The defense countered that the actions were not of the highest severity, asserting the defendant was unaware of Amikam's connection to Gallant and lacked ideological motives. Judge Avi Levy, in justifying the sentence, noted Abu-el-Hijja's consistent and prolonged actions, emphasizing the substantial potential harm to state security. The judge also acknowledged Abu-el-Hijja received approximately $3,600 for his services and chose not to identify his handler. Mitigating factors included his guilty plea, remorse, clean criminal record, and the health of his parents.

In addition to the prison sentence, Abu-el-Hijja received a two-year suspended sentence. This case follows a similar conviction on September 16, where Alexander Granovsky was sentenced to 13.5 years for spying for Iran, a sentence described by the prosecution as the harshest to date for Israelis recruited by Iran via social media. Granovsky's activities escalated from political graffiti to arson and photographing sensitive sites, including the neighborhood of MK Benny Gantz. Concurrently, the Shin Bet has launched a campaign to raise awareness within the ultra-Orthodox community, which Tehran reportedly views as vulnerable to recruitment.