Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the counter-terrorism bureau of the Istanbul prosecutor's office announced the arrest of 33 individuals suspected of spying for Israel's Mossad.
According to Turkish public broadcaster TRT, Turkish law enforcement received information about plans by Israel's foreign intelligence service to monitor foreigners in Turkey under humanitarian pretenses, with intentions for future attacks and abductions.
The Prosecutor's Office issued arrest warrants for 46 individuals, with 33 of them detained during Operation Mole across eight provinces. The remaining individuals are still wanted. Istanbul is named as the center of the network's activities.
Turkey is one of the centers of activity for the terrorist group Hamas. In early December, a secret meeting of Hamas leaders took place there, attended by deputy heads of Hamas's political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri and Khaled Mashal.
Al-Arouri arrived from Beirut, while Mashal came from Doha. Ankara guaranteed their safety and the confidentiality of the meeting. Other representatives of Hamas leadership also participated in the summit.
