First publication Thursday evening on Channel 14 News: Concerns are mounting within the defense establishment that dozens of additional espionage cases involving Israeli citizens operated by Iran remain active. Security officials are deeply alarmed by an extraordinary surge in incidents where Israeli citizens—including reservists in sensitive positions—were apprehended for espionage offenses.
Defense officials assert that resources allocated to handle such an unprecedented wave are limited, warning that several additional cases may have evaded detection by the system. Consequently, sensitive intelligence capable of harming national security continues to flow to Iran. The primary fear centers on a single undetected operation succeeding in causing severe, irreversible damage.
Earlier today, a couple from Ashkelon was indicted for spying on behalf of Iran after documenting sites across Israel for their Iranian handlers that subsequently turned into attack targets. The couple, Tremilan Amshukov and Alina Kushnirko, stand accused of executing tasks directed by an Iranian agent. The husband, Amshukov, was sent to photograph homes of defense industry personnel and Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s tomb at Mount Herzl—just one week before Prime Minister Netanyahu attended a memorial service at the site.