A student was arrested in Israel on accusations of spying for Iran.
The 22-year-old is accused of committing security violations and carrying out activities on behalf of Iranian operatives, according to a joint statement made Thursday by the Shin Bet domestic security service and the police.
The young man, who studies information systems at Ben Gurion University in Beersheba, hails from the Arab town of Deir al-Asad in Northern Israel.
He was arrested in June and will face official charges, according to the statement.
It’s unclear if the detention happened before or during the current 12-day war with Iran.
Authorities claim the student had been communicating with an Iranian spy for several months. In exchange for cash, he allegedly performed “security-related acts” per the agent’s directions.
These included attempting to hurt someone, scattering nails on a major street in Beersheba, and stirring contentious social debate.
He said that his acts were motivated by solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
In recent years, Israel has made a number of arrests for suspected espionage for Iran.
