Israel is investigating leaks that appear to have strengthened Netanyahu as G…

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An Israeli court on Sunday relaxed a gag order in a case investigating the leak of classified information suspected to have involved one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's media advisers. Critics say the leaks were aimed at giving Netanyahu political cover as ceasefire negotiations stalled in Gaza.

Netanyahu denied any wrongdoing, downplayed the matter and publicly called for the confidentiality agreement to be lifted. Netanyahu said the person in question “never took part in security talks, did not receive or receive any confidential information and did not take part in secret visits.”

On Sunday, an Israeli court allowed the name of the main suspect in the case, Eli Feldstein, who Israeli media said was one of Netanyahu's media advisers, to be published. According to Israeli media reports, the case involves the leak of classified information to two European media outlets, allegedly by Feldstein, who may not have been formally employed and did not have a security clearance. The media reported that Feldstein joined Netanyahu as an adviser weeks after the October 7, 2023 attacks and had previously worked as an adviser to the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The court did not disclose the names of three other suspects who are also being investigated in connection with the leak.

The leaked documents are said to have formed the basis of a widely discredited article in the London Jewish Chronicle: which was later withdrawn – the suggestion that Hamas was planning to expel hostages from Gaza via Egypt, and an article in Germany's Bild newspaper that said Hamas was dragging out the talks as a form of psychological warfare against Israel.

Israeli media and other observers expressed skepticism about the articles, which appeared to back up Netanyahu's demands in the talks and absolve him of blame for their failure. According to a video released by his office, Netanyahu did not mention the case during a visit to Israel's northern border on Sunday.

The articles appeared as Netanyahu called for permanent Israeli control over Israel the Philadelphia Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt bordera demand that was first made public in the summer. Hamas rejected the demand and accused Netanyahu of deliberately sabotaging the talks brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt.

The articles also appeared to serve as political cover as Netanyahu faced intense criticism from the families of the hostages and much of the Israeli public, who blamed him for the failure of a deal. The criticism reached its peak at the beginning of September. with mass protests and calls for a general strikeafter Hamas killed six hostages as Israeli troops approached them.

A court document confirmed that an investigation by police, military and Shin Bet intelligence agency was underway and that a number of suspects had been detained for questioning. It said the affair posed “a risk to sensitive information and sources” and “endangered the achievement of war objectives in the Gaza Strip.”

The leak led to a scandal at the Jewish Chronicle, where prominent columnists resigned in protest over the discredited articles. The London-based newspaper removed the article in question and others by a freelance journalist, saying it was “unsatisfied with some of its claims.”

The Bild article suggested that Hamas was not serious about the negotiations and was using psychological warfare to stoke Israeli divisions. Netanyahu quoted it in a meeting with his cabinet after its publication.