Israeli authorities announced on Tuesday the arrest of two individuals suspected of spying on the Defense Minister on behalf of Iran.
"In a joint operation by the Shin Bet (Israel's internal security agency) and Israeli police, Roi Mizrachi and his friend Almog Attias, both 24 years old, were arrested in late April for security-related offenses after gathering information in Kfar Ahim, where Defense Minister Israel Katz resides," the Shin Bet stated in a release.
This announcement marks the latest in a series of espionage-related arrests in Israel linked to Iranian interests since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in Oct. 2023.
Shin Bet revealed that an 18-year-old Israeli citizen was arrested on Sunday for allegedly spying on former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
A statement from Katz’s office clarified that the minister remains undeterred by Iran’s espionage attempts.
"Iran spearheads a terror network, directly promoting terrorist activities and backing groups that act against Israeli leaders and citizens," Katz commented.
Shin Bet noted that the two suspects were directed by Iran to undertake several "security-related tasks" near Katz's residence, aware that they were acting under Iranian orders.
It was further clarified that the young men were motivated by financial incentives and will face charges in the coming days.
In the case concerning Bennett, the suspect, Moshe Attias, allegedly attempted to gather information on the former Prime Minister — who briefly ousted Benjamin Netanyahu from power in 2021-2022 — while the latter was hospitalized in central Israel.
Previous cases have involved missions ranging from photographing military bases to plotting assassinations of senior Israeli officials.
Enemies since the 1979 revolution in Tehran, Israel and Iran have experienced heightened tensions in 2024, against the backdrop of the Gaza war involving Israel and Hamas, the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamist movement.
