Supreme Court increases jail term for Israeli man convicted of working for Iran-operated terror cell

The Supreme Court increases the prison sentence for Nazareth resident Hamad Hammadi, who was convicted in 2024 in charges of contact with a foreign agent and arson after he was recruited by an Iranian-operated terror cell.

His sentence is increased from six to seven years in prison.

Hammadi set fire to four cars in Haifa on June 21, 2023, and carried out other activities on the orders of individuals running the terror cell from Jenin in the West Bank, who were themselves acting on the orders of an Iranian intelligence operative in Jordan.

The Supreme Court says in its ruling increasing the prison sentence that holding contact with a foreign agent is one of the most severe crimes in the penal code because of the potential harm that may result and the danger such activity poses to national security.

The court also accepted the prosecutor’s arguments as to the special need of deterring others from carrying out similar crimes in the current period, which has witnessed numerous incidents in which Iran has successfully recruited Israeli citizens to carry out hostile actions against Israel.