Man Sentenced to 24.5 Years for Spying for Terror Group While in IDF

Shahada Abu Alqian, a Bedouin resident of the Negev, has been sentenced to 24 and a half years in prison by the Beersheba District Court. He was convicted of aiding an enemy during wartime, active membership in a terror organization, and weapons offenses. According to the indictment, Abu Alqian acted on behalf of a terror group based in the Gaza Strip, providing intelligence on Israeli facilities and sites, and even enlisting in the IDF to gather information from within the military.

The court heard that Abu Alqian decided to harm state security in 2019 after his father's home received an administrative demolition order. In September of that year, he stole an M4 assault rifle, a magazine, and a laser sight from an IDF soldier in the Yatir area, burying them near his home. By 2021, he began communicating via social media and Telegram with terror operatives from Gaza, expressing support for the fight against Israel and seeking to join Hamas's military wing.

He subsequently operated for the terror organization "Kataeb Al-Mujahideen," supplying his handlers with information and photos of IDF bases, train stations, government companies, and shopping centers, along with reports on troop and helicopter movements. In March 2022, a terror operative known as "Abu Suleiman" contacted him to purchase weapons. Abu Alqian offered to sell him the stolen IDF rifle and insisted on delivering it directly to the West Bank.

In May 2022, he recruited his cousin to assist in transporting the M4 rifle, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and five hand grenades to the West Bank, where they were hidden for the terror group. Concurrently, and under his handler's direction, Abu Alqian enlisted in the IDF on May 22, 2022. His objective, as stated in the indictment, was to collect intelligence from within the army regarding Bedouin soldiers, bases, and military locations for the terror organization. He was arrested by security forces about eight days after his enlistment, thwarting his activities.

In December 2025, following a plea deal where he admitted to the facts of the amended indictment, Abu Alqian was convicted of aiding an enemy, active terror organization membership, aggravated theft, weapons possession and transport, and weapons use for terror purposes. The prosecution requested a lengthy prison sentence, a suspended sentence, and a substantial fine, noting the terror group's alleged involvement in the murder of the Bibas family during the "Swords of Iron" war. The judges sentenced him to 24.5 years imprisonment, a suspended sentence, and a fine of NIS 25,000. Prosecutor Hofit Kantrovitz described the case as "exceptionally severe," highlighting Abu Alqian's actions against his own country and his enlistment in the IDF to gather intelligence. The Interior Ministry is also reviewing the possibility of revoking his citizenship.