A 75-year-old tourist was arrested yesterday outside the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv on suspicion of working for “hostile actors,” Ynet reports.
He was arrested after Defense Ministry security guards spotted him wandering around the area for a long time, taking pictures of buildings and roads in the base’s vicinity.
Earlier today, his detention was reportedly extended until tomorrow by a Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court judge. Police argued during his remand hearing that he was carrying out “preparatory work” for “hostile actors.”
The suspect also reportedly went on a nearby bridge to take pictures of the Defense Ministry headquarters.
Police seized a computer and a flash drive from the man’s home and are seeking to keep him in custody so they can search the contents of the two devices.
According to Ynet, security guards deleted pictures from his phone that they argued were taken within the base premises.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
