Two Israeli Jews were arrested overnight Sunday/Monday, as part of an ongoing investigation by the Israel Security Agency (ISA or Shin Bet). One of the arrestees, an IDF soldier, was arrested by Military Police while on base. 

Both detainees have been prohibited from meeting with legal counsel, legal rights organization attorney Hai Bar stated Monday, under a special directive and gag order.

Bar noted that issuing such an order against an IDF soldier is highly unusual, and has not been implemented in years. 

Last week, the Shin Bet arrested three Jews in connection to the case, denying them legal counsel as well.

The court has imposed a gag order over the case, including what charges those suspects are being accused of. 

A hearing for the original three suspects is scheduled for Monday at the Petach Tikva Magistrate’s Court; a protest from family and friends has been arranged for outside the courtroom, over fear the three are being denied their legal rights and are facing torture. 

Similarities have been drawn between the case and the ISA investigation over the deadly Duma arson, which Israeli authorities say is the work of an alleged “Jewish terror” network.

During the Duma trials, a number of young Jewish activists were detained for prolonged periods of time and interrogated harshly, but most of those suspects were eventually released after it was revealed they were not connected to any such crimes.