The Shin Bet and Israel Police on Sunday revealed a serious case of espionage involving Yosef Ein Eli, a 23-year-old resident of Tiberias, who was arrested in September on suspicion of operating under the direction of Iranian intelligence agents in exchange for financial compensation. He was formally indicted Sunday morning at the Be'er Sheva District Court.
A joint investigation by the Shin Bet and the police’s Lahav 433 National Crime Unit found that since late 2024, Ein Eli had been in contact with Iranian intelligence operatives. Acting under their instructions, he gathered and transmitted information and photographs of hotels in the Dead Sea region, exploiting his position at one of the hotels. He also provided intelligence regarding other tourist sites in southern Israel.
According to the investigation, the Iranian operatives instructed Ein Eli to carry out additional missions. These included gathering intelligence on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, forming an operational cell of Israeli agents, throwing a grenade at a residential home, supplying details about known criminals and crime families, passing on information about IDF soldiers, setting vehicles ablaze, and photographing IDF bases.
While not all of the assignments were completed, Ein Eli is said to have received payment for those he did carry out.
The Shin Bet stated that the affair represents "another attempt by Iranian intelligence to recruit Israeli citizens and exploit them for intelligence and espionage purposes through the use of financial incentives and anonymous digital communication."