15-Year-Old Arrested for Threatening to Bomb Israeli Soldiers in WhatsApp Group

Israeli police from the Coastal District, the Manasseh Regional Crime Fighting Unit, and the Shin Bet arrested a 15-year-old minor from Jisr az-Zarqa who pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned terrorist activities in Israel. The case began with routine discussions in a WhatsApp group about dog breeding but escalated when the teenager sent threatening voice messages targeting IDF soldiers.

According to the indictment filed Thursday by the Central District Prosecutor's Office, the minor posted a video showing a military vehicle near a cowshed, accompanied by a voice saying, "Here comes the army, may God shame them." Shortly after, he sent another voice message threatening to plant explosives under the soldiers, stating, "I want to put a bomb on them, I know where they sit. If you want to guide me to the right or wrong thing, guide me to the wrong, better. I will plant a bomb under each one, and may God be with them."

Despite warnings from group members that his statements could lead to police involvement, the minor continued threatening to carry out an attack. He recorded a further message saying, "I will blow them up soon. They are going to build their cowshed, their stinking tent, and they need some time. Wait a little longer, Allah's gifts will be theirs."

Following these messages, a group member reported him to the police, who launched an investigation culminating in the indictment charging the minor with threatening a terrorist act motivated by ideological reasons and intended to cause public fear. The prosecution requested that existing restrictions on the minor, including a ban on mobile phone use and social media access, remain in place until the legal proceedings conclude.