The Shin Bet, with help from the police, arrested an Israeli resident of the Negev and his wife in January due to their links with Hamas terrorists abroad. The 53-year-old suspect, Osama al-Okbi, has been accused of supporting Hamas and sending financial aid amounting to tens of thousands of shekels to terrorists in the Gaza Strip. Al-Okbi collected donations from mosques in the Negev and transferred the funds to Hamas. Additionally, he was in contact with senior Hamas officials during trips to Turkey, using his wife as a cover story. He met with Saleh al-Arouri, the head of Hamas’s political bureau, during his trip to Turkey in June 2023. Al-Okbi has been charged with contact with a foreign agent and terrorist offenses.
Israeli national arrested for supporting Hamas through meetings and funding
