FALCON POWERS – The Hebrew Channel 13 reported on Wednesday evening that the Israeli internal security service (Shin Bet) arrested a senior Israeli official in one of the medical institutions on suspicion of espionage.
The channel mentioned that a prominent figure in a recognized medical institution was apprehended on suspicion of harming state security.
The medical institution confirmed that it was not surprised by the arrest and said the senior official “has been behaving strangely since the beginning of the war.”
On Tuesday, the security agencies in Israel announced the arrest of 3 Israelis on suspicion of engaging in security activities at the direction of Iranian intelligence agents, and an indictment has been filed against one of them.
According to the Hebrew website “Walla”, as part of the Shin Bet and the National Unit for International Investigations’ activity, an Iranian intelligence infrastructure was uncovered that had been operating in recent months under the guise of foreign agencies with the aim of recruiting Israeli citizens to carry out various tasks in Israel.
The investigation revealed that one of the suspects, 21-year-old Elimelech Stern from Beit Shemesh, was communicating via the Telegram app with a profile under the name “Anna Elena,” while being asked to perform various tasks in Israel.
According to the investigations, he was asked to post advertisements in Tel Aviv, deposit money at different points in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, deliver packages containing a severed animal head or a doll next to a knife and a threatening message, burn forests, and more, but Stern agreed to carry out all the tasks except for murder and arson.
In order to place advertisements, bury money, and transport packages, Stern recruited other Israeli citizens to carry out various tasks in exchange for money. Stern also received a cryptocurrency payment from “Anna Elina”, according to Walla.
In this context, the Shin Bet and the police issued a statement confirming “the continued work to uncover Iranian activity in the areas of crime and psychological warfare, which aims to undermine Israel’s national capabilities and war effort, and to sow despair and expand social divisions.”
A senior Israeli official said: “In this complex period, when the digital space is being used for the purposes of intimidation or the transmission of messages or the promotion of terrorist activity under the guise of innocent activity, we advise the public to be cautious about inquiries from unknown sources, and to avoid providing personal details and opening links from unknown sources.”
