The State Prosecutor on Monday filed an indictment with the Hadera Magistrates Court against two Israeli Arabs accused of planning to join ISIS in Syria.

The accused, identified as Abed al-Mahadi Gabareen and Nayim Gabareen, are residents of the northern Arab community of Ar'ara, and face charges of attempting to join a terror group and attempting to leave Israel unlawfully. Both suspects planned to join ISIS in Syria in order to fight Shiites.

According to the indictment, the two became acquainted after praying in a mosque in Umm al-Fahm, where Abed al-Mahadi served as an imam. During May 2024, the two planned to leave for Syria, through Turkey, and there they would join ISIS, take part in its operations, and join the fighting, battling who they believe to be heretics, such as Shiite Muslims.

Both of the suspects purchased plane tickets to Istanbul, which would take them to Turkey via Athens, Greece, but did not purchase return tickets. They also booked a hotel room in Istanbul. Both planned to travel to the city of Gaziantep, in southern Turkey near the Syrian border, and from there cross into Syrian territory.

They were arrested on June 11 at Ben Gurion International Airport, during a security check.