Israel’s attorney-general filed an indictment on May 28, 2026, against Yonatan Urich, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, charging him with leaking classified information with intent to harm state security [1, 2]. The leaked document concerned the 2023 Gaza war and was published by German newspaper Bild in September 2024 after being blocked by Israeli military censorship [1, 2].
Charges against Urich include transmitting and possessing classified information, and destruction of evidence [1]. He is also suspected of involvement in the "Qatargate" scandal, accused of being recruited by Qatar to promote its image in Israel [1].
Two other former Netanyahu advisers, Eli Feldstein and Ari Rosenfeld, were indicted in November 2024 over the same leak [1, 2]. Prosecutors also considered charges in May 2026 against Netanyahu’s former chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, related to the leak [1].
The leaked document was used by Netanyahu’s team to argue that Hamas was unwilling to negotiate a ceasefire and that hostages could only be freed by military pressure [1]. However, some sources state the document was falsely presented as secret Hamas intelligence to influence public opinion and deflect criticism of Netanyahu [2]. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara described the leaked material as "classified at the highest level of secrecy" that endangered state security and human life [2].
The leak is regarded as a serious espionage offence and could carry life imprisonment [2]. The document leak followed the October 7, 2023 assault by Palestinian militants that triggered the Gaza war and hostage crisis [1].
The next major legal step is the ongoing trial process against Urich and others indicted for their role in the classified document leak.
