Two Israeli citizens arrested for spying for Hamas

Gazans, both born to Israeli mothers, were recruited to spy for terrorist group

By ANNA AHRONHEIM
Two men detained on suspicion of spying for Hamas (photo credit: SHIN BET/ REUTERS)
Two men detained on suspicion of spying for Hamas
(photo credit: SHIN BET/ REUTERS)
The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) has arrested two Israeli civilians on suspicion of spying for Hamas to gather intelligence for terrorist attacks against Israeli targets.
The suspects, Rami Amudi, 30, and Rajab Dacha, 34, have family in the Gaza Strip. They were arrested following a joint Shin Bet-Israel Police operation on January 2. They were indicted for security offenses in the Central District Court on Monday.
Amudi was born to an Israeli mother and a Gazan father. He lived in Khan Yunis with his father’s family until last November, when he moved to Tel Aviv. According to the Shin Bet, he reestablished ties with his mother two years ago and had been working with her to receive Israeli documentation and live with her in Israel.
Dacha was born to an Israeli mother from Lod. He has been working on Israeli documentation since 2017 based on his mother’s citizenship. Since his move to Israel, he visited his wife and five children in the Gaza Strip every few months.
Hamas, the Shin Bet said, “took advantage” of the fact that these Israeli civilians could enter the Gaza Strip to visit family. It recruited them to the terrorist group’s military wing.
According to the Shin Bet, after being recruited by Hamas in Gaza, the defendants were asked to purchase cellphones and SIM cards to remain in contact with their Hamas handlers.
The investigation revealed that Metcal Razi, 32, from Beit Lahiya, recruited Dacha and acted as his Hamas handler.
Dacha carried out missions under the guidance of Hamas, the Shin Bet said, such as photographing various security facilities in the center of the country, including military bases, police facilities, locations of Iron Dome batteries, information about security forces, as well as the locations of where rockets impacted during the last round of fighting between Israel and terrorist groups in the coastal enclave.
He is said to have sent the pictures to Razi.
“Hamas in the Gaza Strip continues to cynically exploit the Erez crossing between Israel and Gaza for the promotion of terrorism in Israel,” the Shin Bet said in a statement, adding that the agency “takes a very serious view” regarding the recruiting of Israeli civilians for terrorist attacks.
“The Shin Bet will continue to work with its partner, the Israel Police, to monitor and thwart any hostile espionage activities by terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip,” the Shin Bet said.