One after another: Iran, Hamas and Lebanon tried to recruit Arabs from within Israel

Three security cases were revealed today one after another, all sharing a common denominator: attempts by hostile elements outside Israel to recruit people from within Israel and the West Bank. A Palestinian journalist suspected of ties with Iran, a resident of Tamra who approached Hamas and Iranian intelligence, and a resident of Majd al-Krum who was operated by an agent from Lebanon were arrested.

Three different security cases were revealed today (Friday, September 18, 2026) one after another, all with a prominent common denominator: attempts by hostile elements outside Israel to make contact with people from within Israel and the West Bank, recruit them, and use them for security-related activities. In the first case, a resident of the village of Beitin in her 30s, employed as a journalist for a media channel allegedly linked to Iran, was arrested. Police are examining the nature of her ties with elements on behalf of the Iranian regime, along with suspicions of trading with the enemy, incitement to terrorism, support for a hostile organization, and harming the security of IDF forces. The court extended her remand by seven days, until September 23. Shortly afterward, another case was revealed in the north. Sultan Abu al-Hija, a 31-year-old resident of Tamra, was arrested after, according to an investigation by the Shin Bet and the Northern District Police, he contacted the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, several times with the aim of assisting them. In addition, he made contact with Iranian intelligence elements. The third case was also revealed in the Galilee. Hamdan Hamdan, a 32-year-old resident of Majd al-Krum, was arrested on suspicion that he had been in contact with a foreign agent from Lebanon for several months and carried out security missions under her direction. The three cases indicate the variety of ways in which enemy elements are trying to establish a foothold within Israel.