Israeli government is not accused of using leaks to thwart the Gaza ceasefire

JERUSALEM

An Israeli group campaigning for the release of hostages held in Gaza called on Monday for an investigation into the alleged leak of classified documents by a former adviser to the prime minister, which may have undermined efforts to free the prisoners.

An Israeli court announced on November 3 that Eliezer Feldstein, a former adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu, was arrested along with three others for allegedly leaking documents to foreign media.

The leaked documents are said to have formed the basis of a widely discredited article in the London-based Jewish Chronicle, later retracted, suggesting that Hamas was planning to expel hostages from the Gaza Strip via Egypt, as well as an article in The German newspaper Bild, which was about Hamas, portrayed the talks as a form of psychological warfare against Israel.

The case has prompted the opposition to question whether Netanyahu was involved in the revelation, a claim rejected by his office.

“The [hostage] Families demand an investigation into anyone suspected of sabotage and undermining state security,” said a statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

“Such actions, especially during war, endanger the hostages, jeopardize their chances of return and leave them at risk of being killed by Hamas terrorists.”

Critics have long accused Netanyahu of stalling ceasefire negotiations and prolonging the war to appease his far-right coalition partners.

The Israeli court said publishing the documents risked “causing serious damage to state security.”

“This could jeopardize the ability of the security authorities to achieve the goal of releasing the hostages as part of the war aims,” it said.

Israel ends agreement with UN aid agency for Gaza

Meanwhile, Israel formally notified the United Nations on Monday of its decision to cut ties with the organization supporting Palestinian refugees after lawmakers voted to ban the organization vital to the occupied territories.

The ban, which drew global condemnation, including from Israel's main backer, the United States, was set to take effect at the end of January. The UN Security Council warned it would have serious consequences for millions of Palestinians.

Israel says the organization, known as UNRWA, was infiltrated by Hamas.

The Gaza Strip government's media office said on Monday that all hospitals in the northern part of the Gaza Strip were out of service as Israeli bombings were relentless and a military siege prevented access to humanitarian assistance, including medical care.

The office said in a statement on Telegram that 1,800 people were killed and 4,000 injured in northern Gaza last month.

In a rare move, the Israeli military says it has carried out a ground attack in Syria, arresting a Syrian national implicated in Iranian networks. It was the first time in the current war that Israel announced that its troops were operating in Syrian territory.

The Israeli military said the seizure was part of a special operation “that took place in recent months,” but did not specify when.