Israeli Teen Charged with Terror Threats After Sending Explosive Threats to Soldiers on WhatsApp

The Central District Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment on Thursday against a 15-and-a-half-year-old boy from central Israel, accusing him of threatening to carry out a terror attack against soldiers via voice messages sent in a WhatsApp group. According to the indictment submitted by attorney Hila Cohen Kadosh, earlier this month the minor posted a video in a dog-breeding WhatsApp group showing a military vehicle near a barn, accompanied by the comment, "Here comes the army, may God shame them." Shortly after, he sent a voice message threatening to place an explosive device targeting the soldiers, stating, "I want to put a bomb on them, I know where they sit."

Despite a warning from a group member that his statements could lead to police involvement and arrest, the minor reiterated his threat in another voice message, saying, "I will blow them up with a bomb." Following a report by a group member to the police, an investigation was launched, culminating in the indictment filed at the Juvenile Court. The prosecution alleges the threats were ideologically motivated and intended to instill fear or panic among the public. These are allegations pending judicial determination.

Alongside the indictment, the prosecution requested the court to extend restrictive measures imposed on the minor until the conclusion of legal proceedings. These conditions include a ban on possessing a mobile phone and using social media platforms.