[76503] Espionage affair in Jerusalem: Hotel employee accused of planning a suicide attack against Air Force students

The espionage affair at a hotel in Jerusalem: A mass-casualty attack was prevented

A serious indictment was filed against a 21-year-old man from East Jerusalem, who worked at a central hotel in the city, for severe security offenses. According to reports on Hadashot MeHashetach on Telegram and Inon Shalom Yitach - Military and Security, the accused was operated by a Hamas operative from Cyprus and passed on sensitive information about security forces, soldiers, and prison guards who were staying at the hotel.

One of the most disturbing sections of the indictment concerns information the accused passed on regarding a group of Air Force students who were supposed to stay at the location. According to Hadashot Israel IL and GLOBAL ANALYST 🕎 عالمي, the accused provided his operator with dates, names, and room numbers, and even declared that he was "willing to carry out a suicide attack himself." The attack was prevented at the last moment due to the cancellation of the group's arrival following the war.

In a post by Elchanan Groner, who is identified with right-wing positions that emphasize the dangers of terrorism from the Arab population, it was revealed that the accused had a significant security record even before his employment at the hotel. Groner notes that he was involved in throwing explosive devices during the demolition of the house of the terrorist Udai Tamimi and even planned an attack against a military base, which raises questions surrounding the screening of candidates for employment at the hotel.

Additional reports from Torat Lechima - For the IDF and Zirat HaHadashot emphasize the severity of the case, as beyond passing on information, the accused sent his operator photographs of a female soldier's military ID and photos of prison guards who visited the hotel. The case brings the public discourse regarding the issue of employing workers from East Jerusalem in sensitive institutions in the city back to the surface.