17 Apr 2023; MEMO: Israel's security service, the Shin Bet, has accused two Palestinians from the West Bank of working for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iran-backed Lebanese militia, Hezbollah.
According to an announcement today by the Shin Bet, indictments were filed against Yusuf Mansour and Marsil Mansour – two Palestinians from the West Bank – who had allegedly agreed to smuggle military equipment in Israel for Hezbollah and IRGC operatives.
The Shin Bet accused Yusuf of "serious security offenses", such as gathering intelligence on Israeli military operations in the West Bank, at the request of IRGC agents and with assistance from Marsil. They are also charged with conducting efforts to recruit more operatives in the West Bank, receiving funding to aid them in those tasks.
The indictment states that Yusuf had communicated with the operatives, Hudah Mahaneh, and Haj Mahmed Radwan – part of an IRGC Quds Force unit responsible for aiding Palestinian Resistance groups – through encryption software and a dedicated email address.
In its statement, the Shin Bet stressed that it "takes seriously the attempts by Iran and affiliates to establish secret infrastructure in Israel with the purpose of terrorism operation against Israeli citizens". It added that it will "continue to operate together with security forces in order to locate and foil all activity that endangers the security of the state."
The agency's investigation into the case, and subsequent allegations, are predicted to give further credence to Tel Aviv's view that Tehran and its proxies are actively infiltrating the West Bank and recruiting operatives in the Occupied Territories.
