The Israel Police and Shin Bet arrested two young Israelis on suspicion of serious espionage offenses for Iran. Among other things, the two arrived at Defense Minister Yisrael Katz's home in Kfar Achim and attempted to install surveillance cameras on the access road to his home - and passed a bag containing an explosive device.
Don't miss: The big raffle for a Torah scroll and prizes worth 150,000 NIS
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
Since the beginning of the war, 20 espionage cases involving Israelis for Iran have been thwarted.
As part of a joint operation by the Shin Bet and the Lahav 433 unit, Roy Mizrahi and Almog Atias, both 24 years old, residents of Nesher, childhood friends and students at the Technion, were arrested at the end of April 2025 on suspicion of committing security offenses - after they collected intelligence in the settlement of Kfar Achim, where Defense Minister Israel Katz lives.
The Shin Bet and police investigation revealed that during 2025, Roy Mizrahi - a programming student at the Technion, the main suspect in the case - was in contact with Iranian terrorist elements and carried out a large number of different security missions for them, some of them together with his friend Almog Atias, while the two understood that they were acting under Iranian direction and that their actions were intended to harm the security of the state - all for the sake of money.
Among the security tasks that Roy Mizrahi carried out at the request and under the direction of the Iranian operators, he purchased a new cell phone and installed a dedicated application on it to facilitate communication with his operator.
Later, he was asked by his operators to move a bag buried in the ground from one point to another in Kiryat Malachi. Mizrahi carried out the task without knowing who the explosives were intended for, in accordance with his operators' instructions.
The more serious task, which came after they had successfully completed the first tasks, was to purchase a camera with a SIM card that allows for remote control, and install it outside the Defense Minister's house. First, they installed the cameras throughout Haifa and Nesher and gave the Iranians a code with which they could remotely control the cameras. Another time, they arrived at the driveway outside Minister Katz's house to install the camera - but then they saw a Shin Bet vehicle and fled the scene.
In the coming days, the Central District Attorney's Office is expected to file serious charges against the two.
According to a report in 'Kan News', the background to the commission of the offenses is gambling debts totaling 2 million shekels to the gray market, which the two fell into.
A security source said: "This case joins a series of recent cases that demonstrate repeated efforts by terrorist and hostile intelligence elements to recruit Israeli citizens to carry out missions intended to harm the security of the State of Israel and its residents.".
""The General Security Service and the Israel Police once again warn Israeli citizens and residents against maintaining contact with foreign entities and carrying out missions for them. These actions constitute serious violations of the law and endanger the security of the state. All security bodies and enforcement agencies will work to bring to justice all those involved in such activity.".
Defense Minister Israel Katz responded: "I congratulate the General Security Service and the Israel Police for thwarting the Iranian attempt to harm me as the Minister of Defense of the State of Israel.
""Iran is the head of the terrorist octopus that promotes terrorist activity directly and through the terrorist organizations it supports against leaders and against all citizens of the State of Israel. My heart and concern are first and foremost for the hostages who are exposed and defenseless in the Hamas tunnels and for Israeli citizens who are exposed to Iranian threats in the country and abroad.".
""I will not be deterred by any threat and will continue to fulfill my commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and to cut off the head of the Iranian octopus and the tentacles of the terrorist octopuses it supports.".
""I will continue to lead with a determined hand the struggle for the security of the State of Israel.".
