Netanyahu Confidant Faces Espionage Charges in Gaza Leak Probe
Jerusalem-Israeli prosecutors said on Thursday they would indict a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges including transmitting classified information with intent to harm state security, in a case tied to the leak of sensitive Gaza war documents to German newspaper Bild.
Israel’s attorney general’s office said an indictment against Netanyahu aide Yonatan Urich would be filed in a Tel Aviv court following a hearing process with his legal team.
According to a letter sent to Urich’s lawyers and reviewed by AFP, prosecutors intend to charge him with transmitting classified information, possession and transfer of classified materials, and destruction of evidence.
The investigation centers on the alleged leak of a classified document linked to Israel’s war in Gaza in 2024, in violation of Israeli military censorship regulations.
The leaked material was reportedly used to reinforce Netanyahu’s public position that Hamas was not genuinely pursuing a ceasefire agreement and that hostages seized during the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks could only be freed through sustained military pressure.
Israeli authorities have already indicted two former Netanyahu advisers, Eli Feldstein and Ari Rosenfeld, in connection with the same case.
The legal pressure surrounding Netanyahu’s inner circle has intensified in recent months amid multiple investigations linked to the government’s conduct during the Gaza conflict and allegations involving foreign lobbying.
Urich is also among the figures implicated in the so-called “Qatargate” affair, in which several close Netanyahu associates are suspected of working to promote the interests of Qatar within Israel while Doha played a central mediation role in hostage and ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Qatar has hosted senior Hamas officials for years and has frequently acted as an intermediary in indirect negotiations involving Israel, Hamas and international mediators during the Gaza war.
Israeli media reports have alleged that a consulting firm headed by Urich, a former spokesperson for Netanyahu’s Likud party, was hired to improve Qatar’s international image ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Separately, Israeli prosecutors said earlier this week they were considering charges against Netanyahu’s former chief of staff Tzachi Braverman for alleged fraud, breach of trust and obstruction of justice related to the classified document leak investigation.
The case adds to mounting political and legal scrutiny surrounding Netanyahu’s administration as Israel continues military operations in Gaza and faces growing domestic divisions over the handling of the war and hostage negotiations.
