Growing fears push Israel to shield its scientists like never before

The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported today (Tuesday) that the regime’s security apparatus has launched a broad effort to strengthen the personal protection of senior officials and scientists working in sensitive fields. The measures are being implemented both in central and northern occupied territories and during foreign travel.

According to the report, the Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of War, Amir Baram, is among those whose security protection has been significantly reinforced in recent weeks. A full security unit now escorts him even during routine daily movements. Maariv notes that the security level for other ministry officials has also been increased.

Maariv states that the Israeli army’s intelligence and operations divisions have concluded that the previous model of personal protection for sensitive officials is no longer adequate. As a result, the personal protection unit of the IDF General Staff has been upgraded to the level of a division, and several senior officers — including brigadier generals — have been added to the new structure to enhance response capacity and risk management.

According to Israeli security sources, part of these changes stem from concerns that key figures in Israel’s war industries could be targeted abroad by Iran.

The report adds that any foreign trip by officials or experts affiliated with military institutions now requires a pre-travel security assessment. This assessment determines the number of guards, the level of equipment, the possible use of armored vehicles, and the designated travel routes.

Several senior officials told Maariv they have been required to travel with security escorts even during private trips. One explained that “the security requirements inside Israel are relatively constant, but outside Israel they are much stricter and more complex.”

Maariv concludes by referring to a suspicious incident in the occupied territories involving an Israeli nuclear scientist. In this incident, an unknown individual entered the scientist’s parked car and left a bouquet of flowers and a note written in a foreign language. Although the hacker group Hanzala claimed responsibility for the operation, Israel’s Ministry of War has so far declined to comment on the reports.