A serious security case has been revealed in recent days following the arrest of Mustafa Issa, a 19-year-old resident of Kafr Qasim, by the Shin Bet and the Sharon District Police (Yamar). He is suspected of planning a terrorist attack against a sensitive infrastructure facility. According to a report by Roi Rubinstein in ynet, the suspect served as a National Service volunteer in the Sharon Fire and Rescue department in a combat support role. Investigation findings indicate that Issa passed all standard screening processes and served for about a year before being dismissed following intelligence shared by the police with the fire department.
The investigation revealed that Issa was influenced by the events of Operation 'Guardian of the Walls' and the October 7 attack. It is suspected that the idea to carry out the attack originated during his participation in an official Fire and Rescue event at the Amdocs data center in central Israel. During that visit, the suspect allegedly began to formulate a plan to break into the facility and plant an explosive device. As part of efforts to advance the plan, it is alleged that the suspect viewed ISIS incitement and instructional content online, from which he learned how to prepare improvised explosive devices.
The investigation raised suspicions that Issa even made practical attempts to manufacture explosives from various materials and shared his intentions with other parties. At the time of his arrest, training gear and an airsoft weapon, reportedly purchased on the black market, were found in his possession. Following the conclusion of his interrogations, a prosecutor's statement was filed with the Central District Court in Lod, with a formal indictment expected to be filed in the coming days.
The police and Shin Bet stated they view the involvement of citizens in activities threatening state security with extreme gravity and will work to prosecute those involved in the case. The incident raises complex questions regarding screening procedures for volunteers in security-sensitive bodies and emphasizes the need for protecting national computing and data infrastructure.