JERUSALEM, Israel – In a significant escalation of Israel’s internal political and security crisis, a senior aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been detained by Israeli police over allegations of leaking classified information.
The aide, identified as Eliezer Feldstein, is being investigated for allegedly releasing sensitive intelligence to foreign media to influence public sentiment and potentially obstruct negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage exchange with Hamas.
The inquiry focuses on suspicions that classified information from the Israeli military was leaked to promote a narrative that Hamas intended to smuggle Israeli hostages out of Gaza into Egypt.
The alleged leak, opposition leaders say, was part of a strategy by Netanyahu’s office to gain public support for a harder stance against a potential ceasefire deal, which has stirred up substantial criticism from hostage families and the political opposition.
In a statement, opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the alleged leaks, accusing the prime minister’s office of circulating “faked secret documents to prevent the possibility of a hostage deal.”
Lapid’s accusation comes as protestors gather in Tel Aviv, demanding swift action to release hostages held by Hamas.
Hostage Families and Political Critics Voice Outrage
Families of hostages have accused the Netanyahu administration of obstructing an agreement with Hamas, alleging that prolonged war could compel the prime minister to call elections, a claim Netanyahu denies.
In the wake of Feldstein’s arrest, these families have expressed concerns over what they called “one of the biggest deceptions in the country’s history,” pointing directly at the prime minister’s office for its handling of sensitive information.
Benny Gantz, a former Defence Minister who left Netanyahu’s wartime cabinet earlier this year, joined Lapid in condemning the leaks.
Gantz called the alleged actions a “national crime,” questioning the government’s motives and adding weight to demands for a transparent investigation into how such information was handled.
The Role of Foreign Media Reports
The alleged leak was linked to two reports published in September: one by the UK’s Jewish Chronicle and another by Germany’s Bild.
Both articles cited unnamed Israeli intelligence sources claiming that Yahya Sinwar, a Hamas leader, planned to escape with hostages through the Gaza-Egypt corridor.
The reports emerged as thousands of Israelis protested to push the government to finalise a deal with Hamas.
In response to the articles, Netanyahu held a news conference in early September, referencing a document purportedly from Hamas that he claimed detailed a strategy to divide Israeli society.
Netanyahu argued that Israel must retain control over the Philadelphi corridor to prevent hostages from being smuggled out.
However, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) later clarified that the document cited was not new, raising questions about the authenticity of the leaked intelligence.
Ongoing Political Fallout
With the court lifting a gag order on the case, calls for accountability are growing.
Opposition leaders have seized on the controversy, with Lapid and Gantz demanding an investigation into whether the prime minister’s office orchestrated the leaks to influence public opinion.
As Israel’s political and security crises deepen, the alleged leak has cast a shadow over Netanyahu’s government, raising concerns about transparency and responsibility at the highest levels of Israeli leadership.
