Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, announced the arrest of a 43-year-old man with ties to Gaza on Friday over allegations he was spying and providing information on state missile defenses to Hamas.
In a statement, Shin Bet said the suspect, Mohammad Abu Adra, has been charged with terrorism offences, including being a member of a terrorist organization and providing information to an enemy of Israel.
Intelligence officials claim that Abu Adra was able to move freely between Israel and Palestine, where he allegedly provided information to Hamas, due to his mother and wife being from Gaza and his father’s Israeli nationality.
Hamas allegedly recruited Abu Adra to their military wing to provide them with “unique and high-quality access to Israeli territory and carrying out missions for them,” including having “collected and provided information” on Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile batteries.
The Iron Dome is an air defense system used to protect Israel against missile attacks. It works by tracking incoming projectiles and firing missiles to intercept and knock them out before they can reach their targets.
Abu Adra was arrested on February 3 by officials from Shin Bet and was formally charged on Friday at a district court in Beersheba, a city in the south of Israel.
In a statement addressing the detention of Abu Adra on allegations of spying, Shin Bet took aim at Hamas, saying the Israeli security service “will continue to act with the aim of thwarting all terrorist activities” and pledged to prosecute all “those who aid terrorism.”
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