According to an unusual indictment, an Israeli citizen crossed the border into Gaza, stayed there for eight years, watched over Kibbutz Be'eri and Re'im for Hamas and even conducted training with Nukhba terrorists, including training to attack a city and occupy a military outpost. Jumaa Abu Ganima (26), originally from El-A'sam in the Negev, tried to return to Israel in December 2023 during the current war and was apprehended by the Shin Bet. An indictment was filed in the Be'er Sheva District Court for aiding the enemy in war and membership in a terrorist organization.
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The indictment against Abu Ganima (26), for aiding the enemy in the war and membership in a terrorist organization, was submitted on Friday to the Be'er Sheva District Court. According to the indictment, in 2016 he crossed the border into the Gaza Strip, joined the military wing of Hamas and conducted training with them.
During December 2023, Abu Ganima was arrested while trying to enter Israel from the Gaza Strip. Upon his arrest, he was transferred to a Shin Bet interrogation. The indictment filed against him indicates that in 2016, Abu Ganima crossed the border into Gaza, where he met Hamas operatives and told them that he was interested in enlisting in the military wing of Hamas and be a martyr.
Hamas operatives took Abu Ganima for questioning, where he briefed Hamas about the locations of IDF bases in the south, including the Ayit Aviation airfield in Israel, the Re'im base and a military base in Be'er Sheva. After about three months in which he stayed in the homes of Hamas operatives, Abu Ganima joined basic military training. Later, he was sent to advanced training together with Nukhba terrorists, undergoing training in which he practiced attacking a city and occupying a military post. He also learned about Hamas weapons and war doctrines.
During his stay in the Gaza Strip, Abu Ganima observed Israeli territory and met with Hamas operatives. In addition, Abu Ganima accepted various offers to carry out terrorist activities, which included shooting into Israeli territory at soldiers, returning to Israel and being drafted into the IDF in order to pass information to Hamas and recruit additional operatives. He even agreed to joining a criminal organization in Israel in order to promote terrorist activity.
In 2021, Abu Ganima was imprisoned for two years, by Hamas, for "not complying with the restrictions imposed on him." Following the IDF bombings near the prison where he was kept, all the prisoners were released on January 7. Three days later he tried to return to Israel, and was arrested by security forces.
In the request for continuance, the prosecutor's office stated that "his actions demonstrate his danger to public security. This is an Israeli citizen who went to Gaza and stayed there for about eight years, joined the terrorist organization Hamas and underwent training in order to carry out attacks in Israel."
Abu Ganima is charged with the offenses of conspiring to aid the enemy in his war in Israel, aiding the enemy in the war, providing information to the enemy with the intention of harming the security of the state, membership in a terrorist organization, training for terrorist purposes, operating with a weapon for terrorist purposes and leaving illegally.
Abu Ganima crossed the border in the center of the strip. The scouts identified him and troops from the Givat Brigade jumped in, but his passage was not intercepted. His father Ibrahim said at the time: "My son suffers from a difficult mental condition. We took him to a hospital and to sheikhs, but unfortunately nothing helped. I don't understand where he got the idea to cross the border. If we had known, I would not have allowed him to leave the house."