Israeli officials announced on Sunday the arrest of an 18-year-old man accused of gathering information for Iranian agents near the hospital where Naftali Bennett was recently being treated.
The individual, Moshe Attias from Yavne, was apprehended last month during a coordinated operation involving Israel’s Shin Bet security service and the elite Lahav 433 police unit.
Authorities allege that Attias conducted reconnaissance at a hospital in central Israel, focusing specifically on the cardiology wing during Bennett’s stay. He is said to have photographed areas under guard, including the floor and room protected by security teams assigned to Bennett.
A joint statement issued by the Shin Bet and police claimed that Attias maintained communication with Iranian operatives and knowingly completed a series of missions for them, despite being aware that his actions could threaten national security. Investigators believe financial compensation motivated his cooperation. A judge extended his remand by an additional five days.
Responding to the arrest, Bennett expressed full confidence in Israel’s security institutions, including the Shin Bet and IDF, and affirmed his commitment to remain active in public life.
“Iranian attempts to assassinate leaders around the world have failed and will fail here as well,” Bennett’s office said in a statement. “They will not deter him from working to protect Israel’s security. Bennett believes Israel must move from passivity to action—Tehran, not Tel Aviv, should be on the defensive.”
Security experts indicated that this incident fits a larger pattern of Iranian efforts to infiltrate Israel using local collaborators. They said Tehran continues to attempt to enlist Israelis to conduct intelligence-gathering and subversive tasks.
The Shin Bet noted that its personal protection division uses a sophisticated array of monitoring tools to track potential dangers to individuals under its protection, including Bennett. Surveillance efforts are multilayered and designed to detect unusual behavior or threats before any harm can occur.
Officials also issued a strong warning to the public, stressing that any engagement with foreign agents or execution of tasks for them is illegal and will be met with severe legal consequences.
This case adds to a string of Iranian-linked espionage incidents uncovered during Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Roughly ten weeks ago, prosecutors filed charges against Doron Buchovza, a 29-year-old engineer from Beersheba employed by Haifa Chemicals South. He was accused of initiating contact with Iranian operatives and offering sensitive data, allegedly claiming he had access to the Dimona nuclear facility. Charges included espionage and contact with a foreign entity.
In a separate case, prosecutors recently submitted an indictment against two army reservists from the Haifa area, Yury Elyasfov and Georgy Andreev, both 21. The two were accused of establishing contact with foreign agents, sharing classified materials, and assisting a hostile actor during wartime.
{Matzav.com}