'Did not participate in confidential visits': PMO denies involvement in document leak

The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement on Saturday evening to refute the claims that members of the office leaked classified documents to Germany's Bild newspaper. 

This comes amid reports that in recent months, the office had employed a spokesperson who failed security clearance but was exposed to and handled highly classified materials despite not holding the appropriate clearance.

Several suspects were arrested on Friday in relation to a leak of classified documents from the PMO, the Rishon Lezion Magistrate Court announced in a statement.

In response to the developments, the PMO stated, “The published document did not reach the Prime Minister’s Office from Military Intelligence, and the prime minister learned about it through the media. The person mentioned never took part in security discussions, was not exposed to classified information, and did not participate in confidential visits,” the office asserted.

This marked a shift from earlier statements. While it was initially claimed that no employee had been questioned or detained, the latest statement indicated that the individual did not attend security discussions or have access to classified data.

Recent reports suggested that the individual gained access to sensitive materials without proper clearance. Despite not denying that the document reached Bild from within the office, Netanyahu’s aides reject claims that the leak hindered efforts to secure the release of hostages, instead asserting that it supported those efforts.

Sources close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu estimate that more senior officials are likely to be questioned as the investigation deepens. Though the office denies this, sources told Walla that senior officials had recruited the suspect despite knowing of his lack of the necessary clearance.

The office further stated, “It is absurd to suggest that publishing a pro-Israel article in a German newspaper, including a document similar to those previously published with proper authority, harmed hostage negotiations or Israeli security."

'Hamas has been the barrier to reaching an agreement,' PMO claims

"On the contrary, the document aided the effort to bring back the hostages and did not undermine it. The publication revealed Hamas's methods of exerting psychological pressure on both the government and the Israeli public while blaming Israel for failed hostage negotiations. This, despite repeated confirmations from senior US officials that Hamas has been the barrier to reaching an agreement.”

While Netanyahu's office positions this incident as primarily about leaks, the investigation delves deeper into handling classified materials. A court statement issued Friday noted suspicions involving "security harm due to the unauthorized transfer of classified information," implicating risks to sensitive data, sources, and military objectives related to the Gaza Strip.

In September, Bild published a document reportedly authored by Hamas detailing their negotiation strategy. The report indicated that the document, found on the computer of leader Yahya Sinwar and personally approved by him, plays a central role in the affair that has troubled Netanyahu’s circle. Media accounts suggest the scandal includes deliberate, sometimes misleading, leaks of classified documents to justify security-based stances against a hostage deal.

Jerusalem Post Staff and Walla contributed to this report.