Israel nabs and charges two suspected Hamas spies

Suspects recruited by the terrorist group in Gaza and tasked with gathering intelligence on Israeli military assets, including locations of Iron Dome batteries, and carrying out terrorist attacks on Israeli soil
Yoav Zitun, Roi Rubinstein, Gilad Morag, Ilana Curiel|
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Israel arrested and charged two men on suspicion of spying for the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency announced on Thursday.
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  • The suspects — Hussein Biyari, 30, a resident of Jaffa who has family in the Gaza Strip and Mohammad Ahmad, 33, a resident of the Palestinian enclave in Israel on a work permit — were both detained in a joint operation by Israel Police and Shin Bet and taken in for questioning on November 29.
    2 View gallery
    חסין ביארי ומחמוד אחמד
    חסין ביארי ומחמוד אחמד
    Hussein Biyari and Mohammad Ahmad
    (Photo: The Shin Bet)
    The investigation revealed that the pair were recruited by a Gaza-based Hamas espionage ring. According to investigators' findings, the two met with their operators in Gaza to learn of their mission and maintained continual contact with them throughout their operations.
    Mohammad Ahmad's investigation revealed that he was recruited by the spy network back in 2019 and has since then performed various reconnaissance tasks including mapping out the locations of Iron Dome air defense system batteries throughout the country as well as secretly photographing Israeli soldiers at Ashkelon Central Station in southern Israel.
    The investigation also shows that Biyari, who was recruited by Hamas during a visit to Gaza, used to disguise himself as a food delivery worker and collect intelligence about Israeli military bases, soldiers and Iron Dome batteries across the country.
    In addition, Biyari was asked by Hamas to incite the Arab population in Israel against the state, obtain weapons and carry out a terrorist attack on Israeli soil.
    2 View gallery
    כיפת ברזל בגוש דן
    כיפת ברזל בגוש דן
    Iron Dome air defense system batteries in central Israel
    (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
    The Shin Bet said in a statement that the pair's arrest was another testament to Hamas using work permits issued to the territory's laborers to promote terrorist activity in Israel and endanger their families in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
    The State Prosecutor's Office on Thursday has filed an indictment against Biyari in the Lod District Court and against Ahmad in the Beer Sheba District Court on serious national security offenses.
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    2.
    A few bad apples will ruin the whole barrel.
    So when Israel reduces the number of work permits, the people of Gaza will suffer and blame Israel- while the real cause is due to Hamas's constant preparations for the next war. Not preparing for peace, but for war. Another question is why does Hamas need precise locations when they just lob rockets into Israel hoping to cause death and damage? They don't. Unless Hamas has gotten better rockets from Iran...
    David| 12.16.21
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    1.
    Of Economics and Terror
    "The Shin Bet said in a statement that the pair's arrest was another testament to Hamas using work permits issued to the territory's laborers to promote terrorist activity in Israel and endanger their families in Israel and the Gaza Strip." And yet the same government-intelligence apparatus will continue to issue work permits for more of them, all in the name of a failed illusion that economic incentives will turn these barbarians into sane human beings.
    Moshe | 12.16.21
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