Netanyahu Aide Could Face Life Imprisonment Over Leaking Security Files

An aide of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been charged in a leaked document case. Eli Feldstein, who served as Netanyahu's spokesman, has been accused of transferring classified information with the intention of harming the state — an offence carrying a potential life sentence, according to The Times of Israel. He is also charged with the illegal possession of classified materials and obstructing justice.

The scandal also involves a second defendant, an IDF reservist non-commissioned officer (NCO), who has been indicted for transferring classified documents without authorisation. The person, whose identity has not been disclosed, faces a prison term of up to seven years. The person may further be charged with theft by an authorised person and obstruction of justice.

The charges are part of an ongoing investigation linked to a sensitive document leak in September 2024. The document, allegedly handed to the German tabloid Bild, contained information about Hamas' strategies and demands in hostage negotiations. Later, reports indicated it may have been written by lower-ranking Hamas officials and didn't represent the leadership's official stance.

The leak is said to have occurred when the NCO unlawfully extracted the document from the IDF's intelligence database and handed it to Feldstein, who is believed to have forwarded it to Bild.

The State Attorney's Office says it will push for the suspects to remain in custody throughout the legal proceedings. Feldstein has already spent over three weeks in custody, and recently, concerns for his well-being surfaced after reports suggested he was placed on suicide watch following a potential self-harm incident.

The IDF has noted that the disclosure of the document undermined efforts to negotiate the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

The court's information also showed that Feldstein's disclosure appeared to have been motivated by a desire to alleviate criticism and public pressure against Netanyahu after Hamas allegedly killed six hostages in late August.

The court suggested that Feldstein's decision to leak the document to Bild was intended to sway public opinion regarding the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The leak aimed to shift the blame onto Hamas leader Yehya Sinwar for the stalled negotiations and to portray the ongoing protests demanding the hostages' release as inadvertently supporting Hamas's agenda.