Saturday 02/November/2024 – 12:00 AM
Israeli officials said that an aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is one of a number of suspects arrested in a security breach case that included leaking information. Intelligence Top secret, in a major case that shook Tel Aviv.
Security leaks scandal shakes Israel
The American website Axios stated that these arrests may be the biggest scandal within the Israeli government since the beginning of the war in Gaza, noting that the most important question is whether Netanyahu was aware of or was involved in the leaks, which appear to be aimed at influencing Israeli public opinion. To support Netanyahu’s hardline stance on the deal to release hostages held by Hamas and establish a ceasefire in Gaza.
Israeli officials explained that the Israeli Defense Forces asked the Israeli Shin Bet internal security service a few weeks ago to open an investigation after a top-secret intelligence report was leaked to the German newspaper Bild.
In early September, the German newspaper Bild published a story referring to a document allegedly drafted by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and containing Hamas’ strategy regarding prisoner negotiations and a ceasefire.
A joint investigation conducted by the Shin Bet Security Service, the Israeli Police and the Israeli Army led to the arrest of a number of suspects on Friday, according to international and Arab reports.
Axios indicated that the investigations focused on concerns about a security breach due to the illegal provision of confidential information, which endangered sensitive information and intelligence sources, and harmed efforts to achieve the goals of the war in the Gaza Strip, according to information reported by the Israeli media on Friday.
For his part, Netanyahu denied his office’s involvement in the matter, and said in a statement: No one from the Prime Minister’s Office was interrogated or arrested, adding that there was no leak from the Prime Minister’s Office, and he accused other government bodies, which he did not name, of leaking classified information.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation Kan reported that the aide, who has worked closely with Netanyahu since the beginning of the war, participated in sensitive security meetings and obtained highly classified information despite failing to pass a security check on his background, and as a result, he did not have the necessary security clearance to work. In the Prime Minister’s Office, he has not been formally appointed to the office.
Axios pointed out that the scandal is likely to deepen the mistrust and tension between Netanyahu, the Israeli army and the intelligence services, which has increased since the security failures resulting from the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on the occupied territories.
This also comes at a time when Netanyahu is waging a battle against the Israeli legal system and the Attorney General, and the Prime Minister is expected to testify for the first time in his trial on corruption charges within a few weeks.
Arrest of employees in Netanyahu’s office
On Friday evening, Israeli Channel 13 announced the arrest of a number of employees from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, against the backdrop of a security case related to suspicion of harming war objectives in the Gaza Strip.
The Hebrew channel said that the Shin Bet, police, and army began investigating a few days ago into suspicions related to the illegal transfer of secret information, pointing out that the security services suspect that people have revealed sensitive information, which has led to harming the goals of the war.
