TEHRAN – Israeli media report that a 23-year-old Israeli citizen, of Tubariya, has been apprehended on charges of spying for Iran in exchange for money.

“Yosef Ein Eli, 23, allegedly received thousands of shekels to collect intelligence for Iranian operatives on hotels, IDF soldiers and senior officials in latest case of Israelis charged with espionage since Gaza war began,” claimed Ynetnews.

“He was arrested in September following a joint investigation by the Shin Bet intelligence agency and the Lahav 433 serious crimes unit of the police,” the report added. Iran has not confirmed the report.

Over the past couple of years, the Israeli regime has arrested an increasing number of people on charges of spying for Iran.

Earlier this year, Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib noted that a “treasure trove” of intelligence containing millions of diverse and invaluable pages of data pertaining to the Israeli regime had been transferred to Iran.

“These documents contain [information on] the … regime’s previous and current projects, projects to upgrade and reprocess old nuclear weapons, joint ventures with the U.S. and certain European countries, as well as full information on the administrative structure of, and those associated with atomic arms,” the Iranian minister said.

He reiterated that Israeli nuclear and military institutions as well as ordinary citizens cooperated with the Iranian Intelligence Ministry, sharing with Iran a large quantity of documents.

“The motive behind this cooperation was two-fold; first material incentives and getting money, and second, hatred of the corrupt and criminal Israeli prime minister,” he explained.

Israel's internal security agency (Shin Bet) reported a 400% increase in identified espionage cases in 2024 compared to the previous year. This number is expected to have risen further in the first half of 2025, especially after the 12-day war with Iran. Reports indicate that Jewish residents of the occupied territories believed Netanyahu had dragged the regime into a war with Iran without preparing the necessary defenses for downing Iranian missiles. During the exchange of fire, Iran wrought expansive destruction in Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Be’er Sheva. General Rahim Safavi, an advisor to Iran’s Leader, recently stated that Israel’s defense systems were crippled during the war.

Meanwhile, the regime launched a massive advertising campaign in July urging Israelis to resist the “lure” of spying for Iran, warning that the consequences far outweigh any financial reward. The unusual drive came a month after the 12-day war ended. 

The campaign, entitled "Easy Money, Heavy Cost," would run on radio, major internet sites, and social media platforms, and had been devised by the Shin Bet, and the National Public Diplomacy Directorate.

In one of the two 20-second videos, a father is shown eating with his family, while the second shows another man having drinks with friends before a caption on the screen reads: "For 5,000 shekels is it worth ruining your life/family?"

The 5,000 shekels is an apparent reference to how much Israelis have been paid for allegedly cooperating with Iran.

The ad says people who took Iranian cash are now behind bars and warned that anyone helping Tehran faces up to 15 years in prison. "Easy money, heavy cost."

In his video message, Intelligence Minister Khatib said there are numerous people inside the occupied territories that are still in cooperation with Iranian forces.