Israeli security forces have arrested a 24-year-old Palestinian woman on suspicion of spying for Iran, amid an intensifying campaign by Tehran to infiltrate Israeli institutions and recruit operatives on the ground. The arrest, carried out on August 6 by the IDF and police from the Etzion station, was confirmed Monday by Channel 12 News. A military court has since extended her detention by eight days as the investigation continues.

The woman, a resident of Beit Ummar—a town located northwest of Chevron—was in communication with an Iranian handler and admitted during interrogation to carrying out tasks on their behalf. While she initially confessed only to parts of the allegations, she later acknowledged the full extent of her involvement, including developing a direct relationship with a “hostile entity.”

The investigation is being led by the Shin Bet, with assistance from IDF intelligence branches. Authorities are now working to substantiate the suspect’s admissions through technological analysis and intelligence-gathering efforts, while the military prosecution prepares to bring formal charges.

The case is the latest in a series of Iranian-linked espionage attempts that have alarmed Israeli officials in recent years. Nearly two years ago, Israeli intelligence foiled a scheme in which three Palestinians and two Israeli-Arabs were recruited by an Iranian intelligence officer living in Jordan. The group, reportedly tasked with spying on senior Israeli figures—including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir—was arrested before executing their plans.

More recently, in July 2025, Israel’s State Attorney’s Office indicted a Jewish Israeli citizen of Iranian origin on charges of espionage. According to the indictment, the man and his partner, who was based in Iran, met with Iranian officials in Turkey in 2024. Prosecutors say that following these meetings, the man provided sensitive information to Iranian agents using encrypted messaging apps such as Telegram, both upon request and of his own initiative.

Israeli officials say the growing pattern of such cases reflects a broader strategy by Iran to wage asymmetric warfare inside Israeli territory, beyond the battlefield and into the private lives of its citizens.

Authorities have declined to release further details about the woman’s alleged missions or what intelligence may have been compromised.

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