Police Spokeswoman (North): Permitted for publication: Residents of the Galilee who were recruited and operated by Hezbollah were arrested about a month ago by the GSS ("Shabak") and the police. 

Two of the suspects have met in Turkey several times, with Lebanese arms and drug smugglers operating on behalf of Hezbollah. The two were asked to carry out arms smuggling into the territory of the State of Israel to establish a dormant infrastructure of Hezbollah operatives. They were also asked to assist in the abduction of Israelis, providing information on targets for missile attacks and locating suitable points for crossing and smuggling at the border.

The two suspects: (55,33) a resident of Kfar Yarka and a resident of Kfar Jadida, approached two other suspects, one 56-year-old resident of Yarka and another 40-year-old resident of Achbara to assist them in the activity and with them toured near the border to find suitable crossings and smuggling routes.

The four suspects were arrested and transferred to the GSS for further investigation. * During their interrogation, they turned over an MP5 submachine gun. 

* GSS and police investigators succeeded in formulating a skillful investigative infrastructure against the suspects from the village of Yarka and Jadida sold for offenses of contact with a foreign agent, providing service to a terrorist organization, conspiracy, attempting to import weapons, arms trade, possession, carrying and transport *.

Against the suspect who assisted them he will be charged with offenses of conspiracy to commit a crime and trafficking, possession of a carrier and transport of a weapon.

* And this morning the Northern Attorney's Office will file indictments and requests for arrest in the Nazareth District Court *

Israeli security forces are recognizing increasing attempts by Hezbollah elements under Iranian directive to recruit and equip Israeli residents with weapons and weapons in order to carry out terrorist activities in Israeli territory and assist Hezbollah in the event of a military conflict.

The Israel Police calls on citizens who receive similar inquiries from terrorist elements to report this to the police, thus avoiding a situation in which they will find themselves suspected of collaborating with the same parties.

* Exposure of the recruitment and operation of Israeli citizens by Hezbollah under the auspices of Iranian intelligence *

Today (Sunday) it was announced that as part of a joint operation of the GSS, the Israel Police and the IDF, two Israeli citizens from the Western Galilee were arrested during February 2022.

The GSS detainees' investigations reveal a picture according to which Hezbollah acted to recruit and operate infrastructure on the ground, among other things, for Iranian intelligence agents, through drug traffickers in Lebanon who are conducting smuggling against Israel.

Details of the detainees and the immigrant during their interrogation by the GSS: *

* Sultan Atallah, 55, a Druze from the village of Yarka, and Rami Shami, a 33-year-old Muslim from the village of Jadida, who were previously convicted of drug smuggling, also came up in the current investigation, as those involved in this field to Hezbollah, which in the past even sat in the Israeli prison.

The two met with Hussein Shit and another smuggler, Akram Shit, in Turkey between November 23-30, 2021, and at this meeting Hussein Shit asked the two to carry out arms smuggling into Israel in order to bury them in hiding places in the area that other Hezbollah recruits in Israel would fire.

In addition, the two were asked to test their abilities to carry out terrorist attacks in Israel independently.

Atallah understood that Hussein Shit was a Hezbollah member, also in light of the fact that Shit detailed the background to his requests:

Iran wants to regain control of the region and seeks revenge on Israel for its actions against it by transferring weapons to the organization's "dormant cells" in Israel in order to arm them for "emergency" in order to harm senior Israeli officials, military officers and politicians.

* The factors behind the planned smuggling of weapons are Hezbollah and Iran. *

In addition * the two were asked to carry out a kidnapping attack in Israel * and Atallah was promised a very large sum of money if he could assist in the abduction of people from Israel, whether by himself or by transmitting information on a suitable target for the kidnapping.

Hussein Metalla also asked to help locate sensitive places within the State of Israel in order to fire missiles at them in time of war.

The GSS investigations also revealed that Rami Shami received similar requests from Hassin and that, in coordination with him, he worked to realize the smuggling of drugs and weapons into Israeli territory. As part of the investigation, an MP5 submachine gun was handed over.

An indictment was filed today by the Northern District Attorney's Office against the two alleging serious offenses.

* Senior GSS official: *
This affair illustrates the efforts of Iranian and other terrorist elements to exploit the Arab and Druze citizens of Israel.
Citizens who receive inquiries from terrorist elements are called upon to report this to the authorities and to avoid a situation in which they find themselves involved in serious security activities.