Beersheba doctor charged with pledging allegiance to ISIS, making poisons and explosives

Azaam shared videos of October 7 atrocities with friends and reportedly expressed joy at the footage.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Prosecutors on Thursday charged Muhammad Azaam, a doctor at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, with membership in the Islamic State, or ISIS, during proceedings at the Beersheba Magistrate’s Court, according to a statement from the Justice Ministry.

According to the charges, Azaam began consuming ISIS-related content in 2014 and later swore allegiance to the organization in 2023.

Authorities said he gathered materials related to the preparation of explosives and poisons.

Although investigators found no indication of direct contact with ISIS leadership, the court determined that Azaam’s conduct aligned with the group’s membership criteria.

The ruling cited what it described as “the inspiration model,” a framework attributed to ISIS in which individuals act independently without direct operational guidance.

Azaam, a resident of Beersheba originally from the northern Arab city of Nazareth, was arrested in 2024 after pledging allegiance to ISIS.

Officials said that following his arrest, investigators examined the contents of his mobile phone.

Police said that the content found on his cellphone included videos of executions, beheadings and images of dismembered bodies.

Investigators also identified digital folders titled “Explosives books” and “Preparing poisons,” which contained information on substances including ricin and instructions related to poisons derived from rotten meat.

Separately, it was reported that Azaam shared videos of October 7 atrocities with friends and reportedly expressed joy at the footage, according to The Times of Israel.

According to the charges, on December 11, 2023, when injured IDF troops were admitted to Soroka Medical Center, Azzam communicated with an acquaintance over WhatsApp, sharing information about how many were wounded and how severe their injuries were.

In reference to one of the soldiers, the acquaintance said he hoped the individual would die, and Azzam replied, “Ha ha, amen.”