The incident comes as Israel’s security establishment has warned of heightened Iranian efforts to recruit Israelis online for security-related tasks.
A Galilee resident who told members of his family that he intended to carry out “a bad act” before leaving his home on Thursday was arrested hours later following a large-scale manhunt, police said.
Police officers in the Northern District were alerted by the suspect’s relatives earlier on Thursday, prompting significant police reinforcements to the area, including Border Police and local emergency response teams, in an effort to locate the individual and prevent potential harm, police said in a statement.
Residents in nearby communities were instructed to exercise caution and remain indoors. The Misgav Regional Council directed each community to station two armed members of its standby security team at the entrance gates.
The suspect was taken in for questioning as police carry out its investigation into the unusual incident. The motive behind the alleged threat, whether criminal, personal, or security-related, has not yet been determined, and the circumstances remain under investigation.
Authorities on high alert over Iranian recruitment attempts
The manhunt comes as Israel’s security establishment has warned of heightened Iranian efforts to recruit Israelis online for security-related tasks.
In a joint public warning issued Thursday, the Shin Bet and Israel Police urged Israelis to avoid contact with suspected Iranian intelligence operatives on social media platforms, citing increased attempts to enlist Israelis to carry out assignments during the ongoing campaign against Tehran.
Security officials said the recruitment efforts are aimed at collecting sensitive intelligence, including information on strategic targets, locations of senior figures, and critical infrastructure. They added that since last year’s previous operation, authorities have exposed 16 serious security cases involving Israelis alleged to have maintained contact with Iranian handlers and carried out missions under their direction, with indictments filed and courts ordering detention until the end of proceedings.
The Shin Bet recently said that dozens of Israelis were indicted over suspected Iran-linked espionage activity in 2025 amid a sharp rise in such plots.
Iran trying to hack security cameras to improve accuracy of missile fire
Iran is also said to be increasing its efforts to carry out cyber-attacks against Israeli infrastructure, specifically security cameras, in an attempt to improve the accuracy of missile fire toward the country, according to a report issued by Israeli cyber security company Check Point.