A 21-year-old resident of eastern Yerushalayim has been charged with acting on behalf of a Hamas operative based in Cyprus and allegedly providing sensitive intelligence that could have facilitated a major terror attack at a hotel in central Yerushalayim, according to a report by i24.

Prosecutors allege that the suspect, who until recently worked at the hotel, was in contact with a Hamas handler for several months and supplied information about Israelis, security personnel, and potential targets throughout the country.

According to the indictment, the defendant collected and relayed details about security checkpoints, military and police activity, and various locations in Israel. As part of his job at the hotel, he allegedly documented soldiers and members of the security services who were staying there.

One of the most serious allegations concerns a large group of Israeli Air Force students who were scheduled to stay at the hotel. Investigators say the suspect provided his handler with extensive information about the group, including arrival dates, names, the number of participants, and the room numbers where they were expected to be housed.

The indictment further states that the Hamas operative later asked the suspect whether he would be willing to assist if a terrorist were sent to carry out an attack at the hotel. According to the charges, the suspect replied that he was “prepared to carry out a suicide attack myself.”

Authorities say the alleged attack never moved forward because the group’s planned stay at the hotel was canceled due to the war. During the investigation, the hotel’s manager confirmed that the Air Force students had indeed been scheduled to stay at the facility.

Prosecutors further allege that even after the cancellation, the suspect continued providing information to his Hamas contact. Among the materials he allegedly sent were a photograph of a female soldier’s military identification card and images of two prison guards who had visited the hotel.

{Matzav.com}