Seven Israeli Citizens Arrested for Plotting to Assassinate Senior Israeli Nuclear Scientist

On Tuesday, November 1, the Jerusalem Post reported on the arrest of seven individuals in Israel accused of espionage and conducting hundreds of missions for the Iranian government in East Jerusalem. They allegedly intended to assassinate a senior nuclear scientist in exchange for 200,000 new Israeli shekels (the currency of the country). The detainees are accused of photographing and gathering information about Israeli military bases and facilities, including the Nevatim and Ramat air bases, and the Golani Brigade base, where four soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah drone attack, as well as the locations of Iron Dome artillery positions. Prosecutors, citing findings from the police and Shin Bet, state that the defendants performed various tasks for the Iranian intelligence services and were in contact with Iranian government agents. The accused received hundreds of thousands of dollars for their assigned tasks, some of which were paid in cryptocurrency. According to the report, some of the accused had been spying for the Iranian government for two years, and all of them have been spies for the Islamic Republic since the beginning of the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. The main suspect, named Rami Alyan, contacted Iranian security agencies and subsequently recruited six others to assist in carrying out 'terrorist actions,' two of whom are minors. Israeli media reported that he confessed to plotting terrorist activities. The Maariv newspaper also noted that the prosecution is expected to issue an indictment against the main suspects on Wednesday, November 2, with charges such as 'aiding the enemy in wartime' and 'conspiracy to commit terrorist crimes.' Reports indicate that an Iranian intelligence officer assigned 'test missions' to the detainees for which they were compensated. These missions included setting vehicles on fire, writing graffiti, and purchasing grenades and ammunition. They also attempted to damage police vehicles. The Kan television network also mentioned that Iranian intelligence agents had asked this group to investigate one of the mayors in central Israel. Meanwhile, according to Israeli media, the suspects received about 15,000 shekels to purchase a weapon and a submachine gun. Israeli media reported that up to 2,000 shekels were paid for setting each vehicle on fire.