Israeli prosecutors to indict Jaffa teen suspected of spying on behalf of ISIS, Hamas
Police said a 14-year-old from Jaffa filmed sensitive Israeli sites for ISIS and Hamas, and attempted to prepare explosives before his arrest in Ramallah.
Israel’s prosecution office intends to file an indictment against a 14-year-old Jaffa resident who is suspected of operating on behalf of ISIS and Hamas by filming sensitive sites and attempting to make explosives, Israel Police said Friday.
The police completed the investigation after he was arrested in Ramallah on October 17. The details have been under a gag order, which was lifted on Friday.
During interrogation, investigators learned that the teen had contacted the terror groups and agreed to provide them with videos and documentation of sensitive sites in Israel, including locations allegedly linked to security infrastructure.
Police said the teen described how he learned to prepare explosive materials, recounted his connection to extreme Islamist ideology, and expressed a desire to become a martyr who would harm the State of Israel.
The teen, who was diagnosed with autism, taught himself languages.
A screenshot showing a conversation the teen suspected of terrorism on behalf of ISIS and Hamas had with ChatGPT discussing how much damage a small percentage of the population of Tel Aviv could cause, October 2025. (credit: VIA WALLA)
He spent hours conversing with the AI software ChatGPT to learn how to make explosive devices and watched Hamas training videos.
Authorities seized evidence involving the teen, including digital evidence from his personal mobile phone.
Shin Bet, police arrest ISIS spy in West Bank in March
A similar ISIS spy was caught in March when police and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) arrested an Israeli-Arab resident of Taiba on suspicion he had provided security information to terrorists in the West Bank.
The Taiba resident, 21-year-old Kamal Nashaf, also pledged allegiance to ISIS, the agencies noted.
Since the summer of 2024, Nashaf had watched ISIS terror content on social media and contacted terror operatives identified with the terror group.
Iran has also claimed several successful instances of espionage against Israel, including Iran’s Intelligence Ministry claiming to have found a broadcast studio belonging to London-based anti-regime outlet Iran International in Tel Aviv earlier this month.
The ministry also claimed to have identified “a number of individuals working at, or with,” the outlet, as well as their alleged residences.
These include several Israelis of Iranian heritage or birth, including the IDF’s Persian-language spokesperson, Lt.-Col. Kamal Penhasi.
James Genn contributed to this report.
