The Israel Security Agency (ISA), in cooperation with the Israel Police, on 17 April 2019, arrested businessman Thaer Shafut, 32, a Jordanian national, originally from the Hebron area.

During his ISA investigation, it was learned that Shafut had entered Israel on behalf of Iranian intelligence in order to carry out missions designed to advance the formation of cells in Israel and in Judea and Samaria for use in covert Iranian activity.

Shafut first came into contact with Iranian intelligence when he was in Lebanon where he met with two Arabic-speaking operatives who went by the pseudonyms "Abu Tzadak" and "Abu Jafar."

Additional meetings between Shafut and his Iranian handlers were held in Lebanon and Syria in 2018-2019.

At the meetings, Shafut was instructed to establish a commercial infrastructure in Israel to serve as cover for future Iranian activity, apparently to gain access to Israel and Judea and Samaria, and recruit spies to assist in gathering information pursuant to Iranian interests. To this end, Shafut was instructed to evaluate commercial possibilities and forge business links in Israel and in Judea and Samaria.

Shafut began to carry out research in the field. Upon entering Israel in July-August 2018 and April 2019, he began to contact local elements whom he hoped would assist him in his mission.

Pursuant to his contacts with his Iranian handlers, Shafut proposed to them, and secured their approval, to set up a factory in Jordan to employ Shi'ite workers who would anchor future Iranian activity in Israel and in Judea and Samaria.

Shafut's Iranian handlers expressed willingness to invest considerable funds, approximately $500,000 initially, with additional funds to follow as necessary, in order to establish operations in the field.

His Iranian handlers also transferred to Shafut equipment for encrypted communications for use in contacts between them including the channeling of information and the coordination of meetings. Iranian intelligence intended to use Shafut as a conduit to channel funds to terrorists in Judea and Samaria and in Israel.

At the conclusion of the operations for which he was sent to Israel, Shafut was expected to travel to Iran to complete his training as an agent and undergo advanced training in intelligence and espionage.

Shafut's arrest by the ISA thwarted these plans and led to the foiling of the actions that were planned by Iranian intelligence operatives, through him.

The IDF Judge Advocate General's office, on 10 June 2019, filed an indictment against Shafut in the Judea military court. He is accused of contact with an enemy, contact with a hostile organization and conspiracy to smuggle enemy funds into the area.

This case is an additional example of Iran's continuing and varied attempts to invest considerable means and resources in establishing cells for activity against Israel.