An aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing indictment on national security charges for allegedly leaking classified military information during Israel’s war in Gaza, according to a statement from the country’s attorney general. The charges are pending a formal hearing.
Netanyahu’s close adviser, Jonatan Urich, has denied any wrongdoing in the case, which legal authorities began investigating in late 2024.
‘Politically Motivated’
Netanyahu has described probes against Urich and other aides as politically motivated and on Monday said that Urich had not harmed state security. Urich’s attorneys said the charges were baseless and that their client’s innocence would be proven beyond doubt.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said in a statement late on Sunday that Urich and another aide had extracted secret information from the Israeli military and leaked it to the German newspaper Bild.
Their intent, she said, was to shape public opinion of Netanyahu and influence the discourse about the slaying of six Israeli hostages by their Palestinian captors in Gaza in late August 2024.
Fury Over Fallout
The hostages’ deaths sparked mass protests in Israel and outraged hostages’ families, who accused Netanyahu of torpedoing ceasefire talks that had faltered in the preceding weeks for political reasons.
Netanyahu vehemently denies this. He has repeatedly said that Hamas was to blame for the talks collapsing, while the militant group has said it was Israel’s fault that no deal had been reached.
Four of the six slain hostages had been on the list of more than 30 captives that Hamas was set to free if a ceasefire had been reached, according to a defence official at the time.
Report Fuels Tensions
The Bild article in question was published days after the hostages were found executed in a Hamas tunnel in southern Gaza.
It outlined Hamas’ negotiation strategy in the indirect ceasefire talks and largely corresponded with Netanyahu’s allegations against the militant group over the deadlock.
Bild said after the investigation was announced that it would not comment on its sources and that its article relied on authentic documents. The newspaper did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Ongoing Negotiations
A two-month ceasefire was reached in January this year and included the release of 38 hostages before Israel resumed attacks in Gaza. The sides are presently engaged in indirect negotiations in Doha, aimed at reaching another truce.
In his statement on Monday, Netanyahu said Baharav-Miara’s announcement was “appalling” and that its timing raised serious questions.
Netanyahu’s government has for months been seeking the dismissal of Baharav-Miara. The attorney general, appointed by the previous government, has sparred with Netanyahu’s cabinet over the legality of some of its policies.
(With inputs from Reuters)
