The security breach scandal at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s office posed serious risks to hostage rescue operations and the lives of soldiers, a source involved in the investigation told Kan News on Monday.
“This was a [cuestión de vida o muerte] which the Shin Bet had to intervene and stop,” the source said. “If we had not stopped the leak, it could have endangered the lives of the security forces in the Strip and the hostages could have been harmed.”
Earlier in the day, an IDF officer was arrested as another suspect in the case. The investigation revealed that the leaked material was not a document recovered by soldiers in Gaza, but other intelligence, the exposure of which could have compromised intelligence sources.
Warnings about the main suspect ignored
The Prime Minister’s Office had been warned that Eliezer Feldstein, one of the main suspects in the case, had failed a security clearance. Despite the warning, Feldstein continued in his position.
Eliezer Feldstein, the main suspect in the PMO security leaks affair. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON’S UNIT, Via Maariv)
Recently, Netanyahu’s office has attempted to distance itself from Feldstein, stating that he was not formally part of the office’s staff. However, he continued to work in his position until a few days ago, despite the clear warning and information available to senior officials in the office.
Feldstein is suspected of leaking sensitive security documents as part of an orchestrated campaign to thwart a hostage deal, court documents released Sunday revealed.
It has already been described as one of the most serious security violations in the country’s history. Details are scarce, but the court decision showed that four individuals were under investigation, including civilian Eliezer Feldstein, a close Netanyahu aide who had been working informally for him.
Alleged leaks to foreign media
Some of the documents in question are widely believed to be linked to two reports from September, near the peak of public pressure in support of a hostage deal after the bodies of six hostages, who had been executed days earlier, were recovered. from Rafah.
The prime minister used the latter to emphasize his claim about the need for soldiers to remain along the Philadelphia Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border.
Tovah Lazaroff and Eliav Breuer contributed to this report.
