The Shin Bet security agency announced on Monday it successfully exposed and arrested a Hamas spy network that operated within Israeli territory.
After a weeks-long investigation, the Shin Bet said that members of Hamas's military wing recruited Israeli citizens to gather intelligence on security matters that will serve in future terrorist activities against Israeli targets.
The espionage ring recorded locations of Iron Dome defense system and landing sites of Hamas rockets during operation 'Black Belt' in November.
The court indicted both suspects, both of them Israeli Arab citizens.
One of the suspects, 34-year-old Rajeb Daka from Lod, was indicted on charges of contacting a foreign agent, aiding the enemy during war, membership in a terrorist organization and aiding a terrorist organization.
The second suspect, 30-year-old Rami Al-Amudi from Tel Aviv, was indicted on charges of contacting a foreign agent and treason.
Amudi was born to an Israeli mother and Gazan father and lived in the Gaza Strip with his father’s family until November 2019, when he moved to live in Tel Aviv. According to the Shin Bet, Amudi reestablished ties with his mother two years ago and has been working with her to receive Israeli documentation and live with her in Israel.
Daka, also born to an Israeli mother from Lod, has been working on Israeli documentation since 2017 on grounds of his mother’s citizenship. Since his move to Israel, he visited his wife and five children in the Gaza Strip every few months.
The Shin Bet said Hamas "took advantage" of the fact that these Israeli civilians could enter the Gaza Strip to visit family and recruited them to the terror group’s military wing.
According to the Shin Bet interrogation, after being recruited by Hamas in Gaza, they were asked to purchase cell phones and SIM cards in order to remain in contact with their Hamas operators.