The wife of Israeli Prime Minister Sara Netanyahu, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and First Lady Michal Herzog attend a memorial ceremony for Israelis killed on the anniversary of the Hebrew calendar date of the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 of last year, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on October 27, 2024. (Credit: Gil COHEN-MAGEN / AFP)
A presumed leak of classified documents regarding Gaza involving an assistant to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shaken Israeli politics and outraged the families of hostages held by Hamas, who are pushing for an agreement to bring their loved ones home.
The leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, and the head of the National Unity Party, Benny Gantz, will hold a press conference this Sunday at 8:30 PM following the "developments" in this matter, as announced in a statement reported by the Israeli daily Haaretz.
Details of the case have slowly emerged due to a confidentiality order. However, a court decision partially lifting this order has provided an initial glimpse into the matter, which the court determined may have compromised security sources and potentially hindered Israel's war efforts.
On Friday, the magistrate court confirmed that several suspects had been arrested in connection with the investigation into a "security violation caused by the illegal provision of classified information." Benjamin Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing by his associates, stating in a Saturday release that he only learned of the leaked document through the media. The suspects could not be reached by Reuters for comment.
Details of the document in question were published by the German newspaper Bild on Sept. 6, according to Haaretz, one of the media outlets that petitioned the court to lift the confidentiality order. The article, presented as an exclusive, allegedly described Hamas's negotiation strategy.
At that time, the United States, Qatar, and Egypt were mediating cease[fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which were to include an agreement for the release of hostages held in Gaza. However, talks stalled, with Israel and Hamas blaming each other for the impasse. The article largely matched Netanyahu's accusations against Hamas regarding the deadlock.
It was published just days after six Israeli hostages were found executed in a Hamas tunnel in southern Gaza. Their murder sparked mass protests in Israel and outraged the families of the hostages, who accused the Prime Minister of sabotaging cease-fire negotiations for political reasons. On Saturday, some of the families joined the calls from Israeli journalists to lift the confidentiality order.
"These people have long lived in a rollercoaster of rumors and half-truths," said their lawyer, Dana Pugach. "For a year, they have been waiting to hear any intelligence or information about negotiations for the release of these hostages. If some of this information was stolen from military sources, we believe families have the right to know any relevant details," she added.
During another session on Sunday regarding the investigation conducted by the Shin Bet internal security service, police, and military, the court ordered the release of one suspect while others remain in custody, according to Channel 13 News in Israel. When asked about the investigation, Bild stated it does not comment on its sources. "The authenticity of the document we know has been confirmed by the Israeli army immediately after publication," it stated.
The war in Gaza erupted after a Hamas-led attack struck Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages into the enclave, according to Israeli figures. Israel's retaliatory offensives have killed over 43,000 Palestinians and reduced much of Gaza to rubble.
