The Shin Bet security agency and police have arrested an Israeli citizen accused of gathering intelligence on former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and an indictment has been filed against him.
In a joint operation by the major crimes unit of the Menashe region in the Coastal District and the Shin Bet, Fares Abu al-Hija, 32, a resident of Kaukab Abu al-Hija in northern Israel, was detained in recent weeks after being caught allegedly carrying out an intelligence-gathering mission.
During his interrogation, investigators obtained information indicating that he had been in contact with a foreign agent — identified as an Iranian intelligence operative — and had received payment for carrying out various tasks. At the conclusion of the investigation, the Haifa District Attorney’s Office filed an indictment against him in the Haifa District Court.
According to the indictment, between October 2025 and January 2026, Abu al-Hija was in contact via Telegram with a person identifying himself as “Martin” and carried out a series of assignments in exchange for payments transferred through the Binance cryptocurrency platform. The indictment states that Abu al-Hija performed the tasks despite “suspecting that this was a foreign agent and refraining from clarifying that suspicion.”
Among the assignments, he allegedly purchased and concealed mobile phones and chargers at several locations in Haifa and Kiryat Haim, activated the devices, installed communication applications on them, documented the hiding places and sent the documentation to his handler. He was later asked to deliver an envelope containing an access code to a crypto account at a location in Zichron Yaakov and to photograph a cafe in Tel Aviv.
In January 2026, he was instructed to travel to Amikam, Gallant’s hometown, and photograph streets near the former defense minister’s residence. After transferring the documentation to his handler, he was arrested at the scene.
In a joint statement, the Shin Bet and police said, “In recent years, and particularly since Operation Rising Lion, we have seen increased efforts by Iranian elements to recruit and operate Israeli citizens within the State of Israel. The Shin Bet and Israel Police view any involvement in such activity with great severity and will continue to act to bring to justice those involved in harming the security of the state and its citizens.”
Ynet reported in November that about a year earlier Gallant had been urgently evacuated from his home in the moshav of Amikam and, at the Shin Bet’s instruction, relocated to another community due to a serious security threat. The evacuation occurred while Gallant was still serving as defense minister, shortly before he was dismissed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Nov. 5, 2024.
In July, it was reported that the government was seeking to shorten the period of security protection granted to former defense ministers, including Gallant and National Unity party chairman Benny Gantz. According to sources familiar with the matter, the move was a political decision primarily aimed at the ousted Gallant.
“The level of threats has risen, but the government decided to reduce security for former defense ministers,” one source said at the time. The Shin Bet is responsible for protecting former defense ministers for five years after the end of their term.