The Arabs suspected of attempting to join ISIS
The Arabs suspected of attempting to join ISISShabak spokesperson

Two Israeli Arabs, Mohammad Agbariya and Abed Almahadi, are accused of attempting to join the ISIS terror group in Africa, Israel Hayom reported Monday, quoting the Haifa District Prosecutor's Office.

Both Arabs are residents of the northern city of Umm al-Fahm.

According to the indictment, in recent times the ISIS has published notices dedicated to gaining support in Africa while calling for the immigration of their fighters and supporters from various places to the "scene of the jihad" in Africa.

One of the most dangerous places where ISIS operates is in Borno in northeastern Nigeria.

In early 2022, against the backdrop of the the enlistment worldwide, Agbariya and Almahadi, both 21 years old, contacted ISIS operatives for the purpose of joining their ranks. Among other things, the pair sought a contact who could help them arrive at the scene of the fighting in the Borno district, where they would join the terror group's ranks.

One of the accused contacted by means of Facebook's chat application various people who live in Africa, near Borno. While chatting, the accused asked one of those who live in the area how he could reach Borno, while falsely presenting himself as a furniture seller from "Palestine," so as not to arouse suspicion. During the conversation, the accused received information regarding the various options for reaching Borno.

Later, both of the accused met several times with an acquaintance of one of them, who in the past fought for the terror group in Africa, asking him to share his experience with the various possible ways to reach the area and inquiring about the lifestyle there as part of the terror group's operations. The accused also requested to renew their passports, in order to be able to leave Israel for Borno.

Later, on July 7, 2022, one of the accused renewed his passport, and the other began the process to renew his passport but did not complete the process, due to his arrest.

The Prosecutor's Office has requested that both individuals remain under arrest until the completion of legal proceedings against them.