A 16-year-old from the Shfela region admitted on Wednesday to being in contact with an Iranian agent and transmitting information to the enemy after months of online communication, which began shortly after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War.
His admission came as part of a plea deal, the prosecution announced, after an earlier indictment had been issued in May.
The case joins others in a disturbing pattern seen since October 7, namely, Iranian intelligence operatives attempting to recruit Israelis through Telegram and other encrypted platforms. According to a series of police and Shin Bet statements over the past year, several such attempts have been uncovered, with a handful leading to indictments – including against minors – for photographing sensitive locations, spreading incendiary material, or acting on instructions from Iranian handlers.
According to the amended indictment, the teen from the Shfela area knowingly maintained active contact with an Iranian operative for several months. He carried out tasks assigned to him and received NIS 1,600, which was transferred into his TrustWallet digital wallet.
The indictment states that the agent instructed the teen to print and distribute inflammatory political posters and document them in public spaces – sometimes while burning them – and send the recordings back via Telegram.
In another assignment, he was told to write the phrase “Where do you think the next target is?” and photograph himself holding it in front of government buildings. He then traveled to eight such institutions across Rehovot, including the Magistrate’s Court, the Tax Authority, a police station, and the Housing Ministry, sending videos and precise GPS locations to the agent.
Iran sent payments by crypto, plans to cause wildfires
Prosecutors said the teen had also provided detailed coordinates of cryptocurrency ATMs around the country and usage reports containing sensitive information. He allegedly suggested additional missions, including graffiti vandalism with harsh political messaging, hiding money in various locations in Rehovot and Rishon Lezion, scouting drone shops, and attempting to recruit friends.
During a major wildfire earlier this year in the Jerusalem hills and the Shfela, the Iranian handler asked the boy to ignite a nearby forest area, though the plan was not executed due to a dispute over payment. The indictment further states that the teen installed a secure communications app that allowed the agent remote control over his phone’s camera and added him to WhatsApp groups he belonged to.
Ultimately, the teen called the police emergency line and disclosed the contact and the missions he had performed.
“These are grave acts carried out by a minor, crossing a red line in cooperating with an enemy seeking to harm Israel’s security,” the prosecution said. “The prosecution views any cooperation with Iranian agents with utmost severity and will continue to act decisively against anyone endangering the state.”