Investigation into alleged Gaza intelligence leak by Netanyahu aide

An alleged leak of classified Gaza documents involving an aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shaken Israeli politics and outraged families of hostages held by Hamas, who are pushing for a deal to bring their loved ones home. The leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, and the leader of the National Unity Party, Benny Gantz, are holding a press conference this Sunday at 8:30 p.m. following “developments” in this affair, they announced in a press release taken up by the Israeli daily Haaretz.

Details of the case have leaked slowly due to a confidentiality order. But a court ruling partially lifting that order provided a first glimpse into the case, which the court said compromised security sources and possibly harmed Israel’s war efforts.

The Magistrates’ Court on Friday confirmed a number of suspects had been arrested as part of the investigation into a “security breach caused by the unlawful provision of classified information”. Benjamin Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing by his aides and said in a statement Saturday that he only learned of the leaked document through the media. The suspects could not be reached by Reuters to comment.

Details of the document in question were published by the German newspaper Bild on September 6, according to the Haaretzone of the media outlets that appealed to the court to lift the confidentiality order. The article, presented as an exclusive, purportedly described Hamas’ negotiating strategy.

At that time, the United States, Qatar and Egypt were mediating ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which were to include an agreement to release hostages held in Gaza. But the talks broke down, with Israel and Hamas blaming each other for the impasse. The article in question largely corresponded to Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusations against Hamas regarding this blockage.

It was published days after six Israeli hostages were found executed in a Hamas tunnel in southern Gaza. Their killing sparked mass protests in Israel and outraged the hostages’ families, who accused the prime minister of torpedoing ceasefire negotiations for political reasons. On Saturday, some of the families joined Israeli journalists’ call to lift the confidentiality order.

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“These people have lived on a rollercoaster of rumors and half-truths for a long time,” said their lawyer, Dana Pugach. “For a year, they have been waiting to hear any information or any information on the negotiations for the release of these hostages. If some of this information was stolen from military sources, we believe the families have a right to know any relevant details,” she added.

In another session Sunday on the investigation by the Shin Bet domestic security service, the police and the army, the court ordered the release of one suspect, while others remain in pre-trial detention, according to Israel’s Channel 13 News. Asked about the investigation, Bild said it does not comment on its sources. “The authenticity of the document that we know about was confirmed by the Israeli military immediately after publication,” he said.

The war in Gaza erupted after an attack by Hamas-led militants struck Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages to the enclave, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s retaliatory offensives have killed more than 43,000 Palestinians and reduced much of Gaza to rubble.

*This article is a translation of a report from the Reuters agency.