A high-level Gaza leak involving one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s top aides has triggered a political and legal storm in Israel. The aide faces indictment for allegedly leaking classified military information to the media during the Gaza war to influence public perception following the deaths of six Israeli hostages.
Israeli attorney general accuses top adviser Jonatan Urich of leaking classified military intel to shape public opinion amid fallout over hostage deaths in Gaza.
JERUSALEM – One of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest advisers, Jonatan Urich, is facing indictment on national security charges, according to Israel’s attorney general. The case centers on the alleged leak of classified military information during the ongoing war in Gaza.
The announcement, made Sunday by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, accuses Urich and another senior aide of illegally obtaining and disseminating Israeli military intelligence. The information was reportedly passed to German newspaper Bild in an effort to sway public opinion in Netanyahu’s favor, particularly after the controversial deaths of six Israeli hostages in Gaza in August 2024.
Urich has denied all wrongdoing, while Netanyahu has condemned the investigation as a “witch-hunt”, saying it is politically motivated. Legal authorities began probing the matter in late 2024, after the Bild article triggered backlash within Israel and abroad.
The hostages’ deaths had sparked nationwide protests and outrage among hostage families, many of whom accused Netanyahu of sabotaging ceasefire negotiations for political advantage. Four of the six hostages were reportedly among a group of more than 30 captives set for release had a ceasefire been agreed to, according to a defense official at the time.
The article in Bild, published shortly after the hostages were found executed in a Hamas tunnel in southern Gaza, presented internal Hamas strategies and ceasefire positions that closely echoed Netanyahu’s public claims about Hamas obstructing negotiations. While Bild has maintained journalistic integrity and refused to comment on its sources, it confirmed that the article relied on authentic documents.
A temporary two-month ceasefire was reached in January 2025, during which 38 hostages were released. Fighting resumed after the truce ended, but indirect negotiations are ongoing in Doha in pursuit of another agreement.
This case now poses a political and legal challenge to Netanyahu’s inner circle, as Israel continues to navigate one of its most turbulent chapters in recent memory.