State prosecutors on Thursday charged a 27-year-old Arab-Israeli truck driver with espionage for Iran, claiming he willingly provided information on sensitive sites out of deep animosity for Israel, even urging a missile strike on his hometown.

Tira resident Ahmad Da’as is accused of gathering intelligence for an Iranian operative he met online, and taking photos and videos of sites during his work driving across Israel. The activities took place during March, when Israel was under missile attack from Iran and the joint US-Israeli air campaign against the Islamic State.

Da’as was charged in the Lod-Central District Court with contact with a foreign agent and providing intelligence to the enemy.

Some of the sites he allegedly photographed were located in Ashdod and include the city’s port, the Eshkol Power Station and a building belonging to Israel Aerospace Industries. He also sent the agent the location of a northern base of Israel’s naval commandos.

Prosecutors allege that Da’as was offered payment for his activities but refused to take money out of his ideological commitment to assisting Iran during its war with Israel. Prosecutors said he was motivated by “his hatred of the State of Israel” and was fully aware that he was in contact with a person who intended to cause harm to the........

© The Times of Israel