Woman in northern Israel indicted for aiding Hamas disinformation network

A 51-year-old woman from northern Israel was arrested in recent weeks on suspicion of acting on behalf of Hamas during the war triggered by the terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, the Shin Bet and Israel Police said on Friday.

According to a joint statement, Rania Dandan, a resident of Kiryat Motzkin, allegedly assisted Hamas “out of a desire to support resistance against the State of Israel,” including by helping to run fictitious Hamas-linked social media profiles, which spread unspecified “false information” that the security agencies say was aimed at sowing fear within Israeli society.

Her alleged actions were said to be part of a larger Hamas campaign run from abroad, tied to its West Bank network, which includes efforts at “psychological warfare” through disinformation.

An indictment was filed against Dandan by the Haifa District Attorney’s Office. The Shin Bet and Israel Police say they will continue to act to thwart terrorist activity and bring those involved to justice.

Hamas has used social media extensively in its conflict with Israel.

Army radio reported in November that a specialized Hamas intelligence unit built a detailed database over several years by piecing together thousands of social media posts by soldiers, including photos and videos, specifically focusing on the Merkava Mark 4 tank — the most advanced armored vehicle in the IDF’s arsenal.

According to the report, Hamas learned about a hidden kill switch on the tank that disables the vehicle and renders it useless, which they utilized during their attacks on IDF bases along the Gaza border on October 7, especially during their assault on the Nahal Oz base, where 53 soldiers were killed and 10 were taken hostage.

The intelligence unit, which reportedly consisted of some 2,500 operatives, created tens of thousands of fake social media accounts to follow hundreds of thousands of IDF soldiers in the hopes that the soldiers would post sensitive and classified information about their equipment and bases.

In March, Said Hassanin, an Arab Israeli journalist and sports announcer, was indicted on charges of having contact with foreign agents and identifying with a terrorist organization following an interview he did with a Hamas-run TV station.

Maryam Halaika, 22, from Kafr Qasim, was indicted in November on charges of incitement and support for a terrorist organization, after she wrote several posts on Facebook appearing to laud Hamas in the days following October 7.