Israel’s fear of spy networks expanding inside the occupied territories

In recent years—and especially since the start of the Gaza war—public dissatisfaction in the occupied territories has steadily increased, manifesting across various sectors.

According to the latest reports from Israeli media and institutions, nearly 200,000 Israeli settlers have left the occupied territories.

But what is particularly noteworthy is that this growing wave of discontent has coincided with a sharp increase in reports of espionage-related arrests.

Hebrew-language media, especially in recent months, have repeatedly published reports of Israeli settlers being detained on charges such as spying.

Israel’s internal security service (Shin Bet) and police recently arrested an Israeli settler.

Israeli security officials and police detained Azarzar, a 27-year-old resident of Kiryat Yam, along with his partner last month.

Hebrew-language media claim that Azarzar transmitted photos and sensitive location information inside the occupied territories to intelligence organizations in Iran.

This is the latest in a series of accusations and arrests targeting Israeli settlers—cases that have sharply increased in recent months.

Earlier, in October, Hebrew media reported that a reserve soldier had been arrested on charges of cooperating with foreign intelligence actors.

Channel 12 identified the detainee as Meor Greinkel, who allegedly established contact with Iranian operatives during his military service and transferred classified information to them.

In recent months, Israel has intensified the arrest of Israeli settlers on charges of espionage and collaboration with foreign actors.

In December 2024, Reuters—citing Israeli security officials—reported that around 30 Israeli settlers, mostly Jewish, had been arrested for allegedly having links with Iran.

Shalom Ben-Hanan, a former senior Shin Bet official, referring to what he called the “astonishing number of Jewish settlers” who knowingly agreed to collect intelligence or plan attacks against the Israeli government, stated: “This is a major phenomenon.”

Reuters wrote that the scale of the arrests and the participation of many Jewish Israelis—alongside Arab citizens—has raised concerns at a time when Israel remains at war with Hamas in Gaza and the ceasefire with Hezbollah is still fragile.

Shin Bet also acknowledged in October 2024 that these espionage activities are among the most severe the Israeli cabinet has ever faced.

The Washington Institute reviewed the issue and reported that 31 of the identified cases involved Israeli citizens, while the rest involved Palestinians or other non-Israeli nationals. Some of these cases included multiple operatives, meaning that more than 45 Israelis were involved across those 31 files.

Many current and former Israeli officials have previously warned or admitted to Israel’s intelligence failures—especially after Hamas’s Al-Aqsa Flood operation and throughout the past two years.

A noteworthy aspect mentioned explicitly in many of these cases is that most of the detainees are themselves Israeli Jews living in the occupied territories.

The growing criticism of the Israeli cabinet has reached a point where even Israeli settlers are willing to cooperate with foreign intelligence services—providing sensitive information from some of Israel’s most critical institutions.