A former spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was arrested for releasing confidential military documents to the press without authorization, which could have undermined an agreement on the release of hostages held in Gaza, a statement said. the Rishon LeZion court announced on Sunday, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Four people, including members of the Israeli security apparatus and Eliezer Feldstein, a former collaborator of Mr. Netanyahu, are currently in detention, the court said.
An investigation was opened by the Shin Bet, the domestic intelligence services, and the army after the publication in September by two newspapers, the Jewish Chronicle Londoner and the German daily Bildtwo articles based on confidential military documents.
One detailed an alleged plan by Yahya Sinouar, the political leader of Hamas, to flee the Gaza Strip with the hostages to Egypt via the “Philadelphia Corridor”buffer zone along the border. The other was based on notes presented as coming from the Hamas leadership on its leader's strategy to thwart negotiations on the release of the hostages.
This information, partly false, would have, according to the court, “undermined the ability of security agencies to achieve the objective of freeing abductees”explained the court, which issued a notice of censorship on a large part of the investigation.
