Six Israeli Arabs – four of them school teachers - have been charged with supporting Daesh (sometimes known as IS).

The men are accused of promoting jihad in their classes, according to Israeli security agency Shin Bet.

The four teachers work in a school in southern Israel.

A Shin Bet spokesman, who made the announcement on Monday, said the suspects were: “Taking advantage of their status to win over people for the sake of Daesh among students and teachers within the school walls.”

According to Shin Bet, 27-year-old suspect Mahmoud Al’ab Ahmed Abu Alkiyan reportedly admitted planning to join the terrorist group in Syria later this month.

Issa Shahadah Hader Hassan Abu Alkiyan, 27, and 23-year-old Sharif Shahadah Razaq Abu Alkiyan were also charged.

Primary school teacher Bashir Jibril Salim Abu Alkiyan, 26, reportedly confessed to supporting the terror group on social media and sending Daesh videos to family members.

Secondary school teacher Akram A’leb Ahmad Abu Alkiyan, 30 and Hamza Ali Abu Alkiyan are also suspected of supporting Daesh activities.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett said: “We will severely punish those teachers who took advantage of their role in a despicable way and rather than protect the students, harmed them.

“We have zero tolerance for those who harm our country. We will work to keep the Education Ministry clean, and we won’t let anyone contaminate our children.”

A spokesman for Shin Bet said: “The Shin Bet stresses that the vast majority of the Arab public in Israel opposes [Daesh] to the point of disgust with the organisation, and that the involvement of teachers in advocating for [Daesh] and the activities attributed to them, is a cynical exploitation of their role and harms the public trust granted to them by the Education Ministry, parents and students.”