From the Liveblog of
Sunday, December 22, 2024
2 indicted for contact with Hezbollah, providing photos from Caesarea
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Two Jerusalem residents in their 30s have been indicted for contact with Hezbollah and providing the terror group with information during the war.
According to the indictment, Abd al-Salam Qawasameh and Taar Asili were in contact via a WhatsApp group with a woman using the name “Diana,” who was a Hezbollah operative.
The indictment says that even after learning that she was a member of Hezbollah, the pair continued to maintain contact with her and share information about Israel.
Qawasameh sent to the Hezbollah handler photos from the coastal town of Caesarea — where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a private residence — and Asili sent her news articles about Israel and the security situation, the indictment says.
The pair also allegedly were asked to speak with a senior Hezbollah intelligence officer.
The indictment says Asili purchased a new SIM card to contact the officer, but refused a request to take photos in the northern border town of Metula.
The pair are charged with “contact with a foreign agent” and passing information to the enemy.
Qawasameh is also hit with weapons offenses after he took a photo with an assault rifle that belonged to a Palestinian gunman during a visit to the West Bank city of Jenin.
The prosecution has asked the Jerusalem District Court to have them kept in custody until the end of the legal proceedings.
The Times of Israel Community.