"Planned an attack on the Temple Mount": Two northern residents to be charged with pledging allegiance to ISIS
The two suspects, a 16-year-old minor from the Galilee and a 19-year-old from Haifa, were arrested following an investigation by the Shin Bet and the police. According to the suspicion, the two established contact with the Islamic State organization - "ISIS", pledged allegiance, and planned to carry out an attack against security forces. The prosecution will request to hold the suspects in custody until the end of the proceedings.
The Haifa District Attorney's Office will file two indictments today, Friday, in the District Court against a 16-year-old minor and a 19-year-old young man, residents of the north, on suspicion of pledging allegiance to ISIS and planning to carry out an attack against security forces at the Temple Mount and at an IDF base in the north of the country. They will also file a request to hold the two in custody until the end of the proceedings.
Initially, the 16-year-old minor, a resident of the Galilee, was arrested at the beginning of August after a joint investigation by the Shin Bet and the Northern District's Central Unit revealed that he had established contact and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State organization (ISIS). During his interrogation, it emerged that in addition to his oath to the terrorist organization, the minor had begun watching and searching online for content showing instructions for preparing explosive belts. It also emerged that he intended to carry out an attack against police officers and soldiers at the Temple Mount.
A few days later, another suspect in the case was arrested, 19-year-old Haifa resident Ibrahim Kaabiya, on suspicion that he also pledged allegiance to ISIS. During his interrogation, it emerged that he planned to carry out an attack at an IDF base in the northern region.
A few months ago, the Magistrate's Court in Beersheba convicted Dr. Muhammad Azzam, who served as a doctor at Soroka Hospital, of the offense of membership in a terrorist organization. According to the indictment, starting in 2014, Azzam intensively watched content related to the activities of the ISIS organization. Following the events of October 7 and against the backdrop of the "Iron Swords" war, Azzam decided to join the organization and pledged allegiance to it. It also emerged that Azzam sent his friends documentation of the events of October 7, with the tone of his correspondence reflecting mockery and schadenfreude towards the State of Israel. Furthermore, during 2024, he downloaded information regarding how to prepare explosive materials and regarding toxins.
In the verdict, the judge of the Magistrate's Court in Beersheba, Shosh Shitrit, determined that the lack of direct contact with a representative of the terrorist organization does not detract from Azzam being a member of the organization, as he acted in accordance with an "accession protocol" established by the organization for its operatives in foreign arenas. This determination was based on expert opinions, which show that ISIS carried out a structural change in the organization, moving to a model of inspiring individuals to act without the need for direct guidance.
