Prosecutors indicted two northern Israel teenagers in Haifa District Court on Friday for allegedly pledging allegiance to the Islamic State and planning terrorist attacks against security forces.
The first suspect, a 16-year-old resident of the Galilee, was arrested on August 4 in a joint operation by the Shin Bet and the Israel Police’s Northern District, the two forces said in a joint statement.
Investigators said he had made contact with IS-linked elements and pledged allegiance to the terrorist organisation.
He also allegedly searched online for instructions on making explosive belts and intended to attack Jewish police officers and soldiers on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Several days later, as the investigation progressed, authorities arrested Ibrahim Kaabia, 19, of Haifa.
Investigators claimed Kaabia had also pledged allegiance to IS and planned an attack against an IDF base in northern Israel.
Kaabia’s lawyer, Suhad Aga-Dahla, denied the allegations, describing her client as a “young, normative man” who was preparing to go to university.
She added that he was a “loyal citizen” and claimed his interest in IS materials came from “the curiosity of a young man” rather than a genuine intention to cause harm.
The police and the Shin Bet said they viewed the involvement of Israeli citizens in activities threatening the security of the state and its residents with “great seriousness” and would continue working to thwart such threats and bring those involved to justice.
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