Israeli authorities on Sunday filed charges against a 14-year-old Arab citizen who allegedly sought to carry out terrorist attacks, including the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on behalf of Al-Qaeda.
The suspect, who was identified only as a resident of the country’s center, was active in a Signal chat group titled, “Cyber and Armed Jihad Movement,” which was operated by a “foreign agent affiliated with Al-Qaeda,” the Office of the State Attorney charged in the indictment.
Some two months ago, the foreign agent asked members of the group to gather intelligence for an “operation” in Israel, according to the charges. The suspect complied, documenting two buildings that had previously been used as Israeli military installations. He sent Al-Qaeda their exact coordinates, and also shared a video clip for propaganda purposes.
The suspect subsequently wrote to the foreign agent that he had planned to record a police station in Tel Aviv and carry out multiple terrorist attacks, including the assassination of the prime minister.
In addition, the teenager allegedly contacted the Gaza-based Hamas terrorist organization, sharing with them his plans to harm Jewish Israelis using a knife or a fire bomb.
The indictment noted that the suspect acted with intent to harm state security and requested that he remain imprisoned pending the proceedings.
The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) has told Netanyahu and other government ministers to take extra security precautions at public events amid the ongoing seven-front war against Iran and its regional terror proxies.
Netanyahu’s security was reportedly upped after a Hezbollah drone hit his private residence in the northern city of Caesarea in October 2024.
In July, an Israeli woman in her 70s was indicted for an alleged attempt to assassinate Netanyahu, reportedly planning to carry out the attack with an anti-tank weapon.
The State Attorney’s Office filed charges against the suspect, who was active in multiple anti-government protest groups, for attempting to conspire to commit an act of terrorism and aggravated murder.
