A Hamas spy operation that took advantage of Gazan residents with Israeli mothers to gain access to Israel to gather intelligence for terror purposes was uncovered by Israeli security forces, the Shin Bet stated on Monday.

Indictments were filed on Monday at the Central District Court against two spies: Rajab Dacha, 34, an Israeli Arab resident of Lod, and Rami Amoudi, 30, a resident of Tel-Aviv.

Amoudi, the son of an Israeli Jewish mother and a Gazan Arab father grew up in the Gaza Strip. Two years ago, he contacted his mother, who was estranged from her husband and living in Tel Aviv and renewed his relationship with her. He eventually acquired Israeli citizenship with his mother’s help and moved to Tel Aviv.

Dacha grew up and lived in the Gaza Strip until 2017 when he became an Israeli citizen through his Israeli Arab mother who lives in Lod. Although he is married with five children, he moved to Lod, returning to the Gaza Strip to visit his wife and children every few months.

The military wing of Hamas recruited the two men due to their dual Gazan-Israeli identities, which enabled them to travel between Gaza and Israel. Israeli citizens are normally strictly forbidden from entering Gaza but Israelis with first-degree relatives in Gaza can gain permits to enter.

Amoudi and Dacha agreed to spy for Hamas while still living in Gaza and acquired Israeli citizenship and moved to Israel on Hamas’s instructions. Hamas instructed them to buy cell phones and sim cards in Israel to transmit information to them.

Dacha admitted to investigators that he photographed security-sensitive sites in Israel including army bases, Iron Dome batteries and police stations. He also transmitted information about security officials and told Hamas exactly where rockets fired from Gaza landed in Israeli territory.

“Hamas in the Gaza Strip continues to cynically take advantage of the Erez crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel to perpetrate terrorism in Israel,” Shin Bet stated on Monday.

“The Shin Bet views the exploitation of Israeli citizens who have access to the Gaza Strip and Israel for the purposes of terrorism with great gravity. The Shin Bet will continue to work with Israel Police to neutralize and thwart all hostile spy operations by terror groups in the Gaza Strip.”

According to the indictment, the Shin Bet uncovered the spy operation three and a half weeks ago.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)