The State Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against two Israeli Arabs for attempting to join ISIS, the office said on Wednesday.
The two individuals were named as Hassam Agalin, 34, and his brother-in-law, Malek Abdallah, 20, both residents of east Jerusalem.
The State Prosecutor's Office has asked the Jerusalem District Court to order the arrest of the two until the end of legal proceedings against them. They were indicted for the offense of contacting a foreign agent.
The timeline of Agalin consuming and trying to join the terrorist organization
Agalin had reportedly begun consuming content of the terrorist organization and tried to hide it, according to the indictment. Last October, he decided he wanted to join the group and contacted the admin of an ISIS Facebook group, who directed him to an organization member on Telegram.
The ISIS member assisted Agalin to move to Africa with Abdallah and join the terror group.
The indictment then added that Agalin and Abdallah traveled to Turkey via Jordan after the former resigned from his job. They then began preparing for a flight to Ethiopia when they announced they were returning to Israel, and were arrested upon their return by Jordanian authorities.
Israel Police stated on Sunday that they had arrested the two of them weeks ago. The police also informed that the suspects were arrested by detectives from the Jerusalem District Central Unit after returning to Israel, under the direction of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). ISIS operates under Sharia law, which aligns with Agalin's and Abdallah's beliefs, police added.
However, police also announced that at some point, the two changed their minds about joining the terrorist organization, and on their way back to Israel, their plan was uncovered.
Recent reports of Israelis, Palestinians attempting to join ISIS
Nearly two weeks ago, indictments were filed against two minors, one Israeli and one Palestinian, who were also suspected of pledging allegiance to ISIS, and also planned a terror attack in a Lod synagogue, according to Israeli media.
The two coordinated with ISIS operatives to attack the place of worship during prayers in the morning. The supposed attack plan was that the Palestinian minor was supposed to stab the security guard with a poisoned knife. At the same time, the Israeli would take the guard’s weapon to massacre the worshippers.
Last month, another teenager in Israel was arrested and indicted for trying to join the terrorist organization, as well as for planning a terror attack in the Menashe region of the country. The teenager was a 17-year-old minor and a resident of Jisr e-Zarka, and reportedly swore allegiance to ISIS a number of times in recent months.