The TikTok accounts involved in Hezbollah’s alleged recruitment attempt. Source: Shin Bet.
On February 1, the Israel Security Agency, Shin Bet, announced that it had thwarted an attempt by a former Lebanese operative of Hezbollah to recruit Palestinians via the TikTok video-sharing mobile application.
Two said two East Jerusalem men, with Israeli ID cards, were arrested over their alleged ties with the operative who identified as Salah Swouti, also known as “Abu Ghassan”.
In a statement, the Shin Bet alleged that Abu Ghassan Abu Ghassan instructed the two men to conduct surveillance operations in Israel. According to the agency, the men “photographed places in Israel, with a focus on Jerusalem, in order to advance terror attacks.”
Abu Ghassan contacted the two men and other potential operatives in East Jerusalem and the West Bank via the TikTok app.
“At the beginning of the exchange, Abu Ghassan focused on personal matters and general discourse, such as the situation in Jerusalem and conflicts between Jews and Arabs,” the Shin Bet said. “Later, as part of the recruitment process that is characteristic of Hezbollah, Abu Ghassan moved the conversation to Telegram. There he forwards seemingly innocent requests to carry out tasks, such as taking photos and videos in Israel, as a possible target for an attack.”
The agency added that “over time and with the strengthening of the connection between the parties, Abu Ghassan instructed his operatives to initiate terror attacks against Israeli citizens, ignoring the damage that will be caused to the operatives and their families.”
The Shin Bet didn’t clarify how exactly it was able to identify Abu Ghassan as a former operative of Hezbollah, or reveal any evidence to back this claim.
The agency warned that attempts to recruit Israeli residents are “gravely,” adding that it “calls for vigilance online in light of the threat posed by various terror elements on social networks.”
Last week, the Shin Bet revealed that operatives of the Palestinian Hamas Movement, the de-facto ruler of the Gaza Strip, were recruiting Palestinians via Facebook while posing as people looking to hire couriers.
These attempts show how Israel’s foes are using cyber space to overcome the country’s strict security measures. They also highlight how the Israeli crackdown on Palestinians is pushing more towards working with the so-called Axis of Resistance.
