An Israeli military court has sentenced an active-duty soldier to five years in prison after convicting him of contact with a foreign agent and passing information that could benefit the enemy, the IDF said on Wednesday.
The soldier pleaded guilty to the charges following a joint investigation by the IDF Military Police’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Israel Police and the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet), according to the statement.
The soldier in 2025 received Telegram messages from several individuals, some identified as being linked to Iran, offering paid work. He later established contact with an Iranian agent, who offered money in exchange for carrying out “various photography assignments,” according to the charges.
Prosecutors said the soldier sent the agent two videos showing IDF air defenses intercepting missiles during “Operation Rising Lion.” He also sent several other videos filmed from civilian locations, including footage of a missile strike he had found online.
The court said the soldier later ended the contact “due to pressure he felt” and informed his unit. He was arrested by the Shin Bet the next day.
Military prosecutors had sought a seven-year prison term, citing the seriousness of the offenses and the need for deterrence.
During sentencing, the court said it considered the gravity of the offenses, the soldier’s status as an IDF conscript and the fact that the crimes were committed during wartime. It also noted that he did not transmit classified military information or information obtained through his military duties, severed contact with the Iranian agent and reported the contact to his unit.
In addition to the five-year prison sentence, the court imposed a suspended sentence, a 1,000-shekel ($335) fine and demoted the soldier to the rank of private.
