East Jerusalem Resident Accused of Spying, Funding Hamas

On Monday, Israeli prosecutors filed an indictment against 39-year-old East Jerusalem resident Obada Alami for allegedly maintaining contact with two operatives involved with Hamas in Turkey since October 2018.

According to the Times of Israel, Alami has been accused of espionage, contact with a foreign agent and terror activities including filming and collecting information about Israeli security sites, such as military bases and airports, to hand over to Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist political organization and militant group that governs the Gaza Strip. 

In addition, the charge sheet from the Jerusalem District Court states that Alami provided Hamas with names of people believed to be working with Israeli security forces or selling land to Jewish people. Alami also allegedly collected and transferred money to Hamas between 2017 and 2018.

The Israel Security Agency, Shin Bet, has accused Turkey of funding Hamas' military operations against Israel.

Relations between Israel and Palestine have been poor since the 1948 founding of Israel. Palestine seeks diplomatic recognition of its independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government refuses to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity, and continues to build settlements in occupied areas, despite objections from the United Nations, Sputnik previously reported.