Scandal erupts in Israel over leak of secret information: Netanyahu's assistant detained
Photo: Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel (Getty Images)
The former press secretary of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been detained on charges of "leaking" secret military documents to journalists. This could jeopardize negotiations regarding the return of hostages currently held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, BBC informs.
As specified in the ruling of the court in Rishon LeZion, which is hearing the case, Eliezer Feldstein is one of four identified suspects involved in the information leak, while the other three are employees of the Israeli security service.
The situation surrounding the leak has prompted leaders of the Israeli opposition to publicly question the possible involvement of Netanyahu himself in the leak, although the Prime Minister's office firmly denies such assumptions.
The Israeli Internal Security Service and military command launched separate internal investigations into the information leak in September. This came after excerpts of secret documents appeared in the pages of the British weekly Jewish Chronicle and the German tabloid Bild, at the same time negotiations for the release of hostages reached a crucial stage.
One news agency reported on a discovered document that described a plan for the secret evacuation of then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar along with the hostages to Egypt. According to the article, this plan involved using the Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the Gaza border.
Another report mentioned an internal memo allegedly sent by Hamas leadership, outlining Sinwar's strategy. This strategy involved dragging out negotiations for the release of hostages to complicate their execution.
However, Israeli journalists discovered that the first "document" turned out to be a forgery, and the so-called "internal memo" was created by low-level Hamas militants.
The Israeli court ruled that the publication of these documents could cause "serious harm to national security" and jeopardize efforts to free the hostages.
Negotiations for ceasefire in the Gaza Strip
In early October 2023, the Palestinian group Hamas launched an attack on Israel from the territory of the Gaza Strip. In the first days of this conflict, militants took about 250 Israeli citizens and soldiers hostage. In response, Israel began a military operation in Gaza.
Subsequently, Hamas released approximately 120 hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Recently, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi proposed a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. His plan also includes the release of four hostages who are still in the Gaza Strip.
