TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An Israeli court on Sunday relaxed a gag order in a case investigating the leak of classified information suspected of involving one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s media advisers. Critics say the leaks are aimed at providing political cover for Netanyahu as ceasefire talks in Gaza grind to a halt.

Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing, downplayed the incident and called for the ban on speaking publicly to be lifted. Netanyahu said the man “never participated in security discussions, was not exposed to or received classified information, and did not participate in secret visits.”

An Israeli court on Sunday allowed the publication of the name of Eli Feldstein, the prime suspect in the case who Israeli media said was one of Netanyahu’s media advisers. Israeli media reports state that the case concerns the alleged leaking of confidential information to two European media outlets by Feldstein, who was not officially employed and did not have a security clearance. Media reported that Feldstein joined Netanyahu as an advisor weeks after the October 7, 2023 attacks, and had previously been an advisor to far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The court did not disclose the names of the other three suspects whose investigation into the leak is ongoing.

The leaked documents are said to form the basis of a widely discredited article in the London-based Jewish Chronicle: later withdrawn – It suggests that Hamas is planning to take the hostages out of Gaza via Egypt, and there is an article in Germany’s Bild newspaper that says Hamas is planning the talks as a kind of psychological warfare against Israel.

Israeli media and other observers expressed skepticism about articles that appeared to support Netanyahu’s demands in the talks and save him from the failure of those talks. Netanyahu made no mention of the incident during his visit to Israel’s northern border with Israel on Sunday, according to a video released by his office.

The articles were published as Netanyahu called for permanent Israeli control of the territory. Philadelphia corridor along the Gaza-Egypt bordera demand that was first made public in the summer. Hamas rejected the demand and accused Netanyahu of deliberately sabotaging talks mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.

The articles also appeared to provide political cover, as Netanyahu faced intense criticism from the hostages’ families and much of the Israeli public, who blamed him for the failure to reach an agreement. Criticism reached its peak in early September. with mass protests and calls for general strikes.After Hamas killed six hostages as a result of the approach of Israeli soldiers.

The court document confirmed that the investigation by the police, the military and the Shin Bet internal security agency was ongoing and some suspects had been detained for questioning. The statement said that the incident “posed a risk to sensitive information and resources” and “harmed the achievement of the goals of the war in the Gaza Strip.”

The leak caused a scandal at the Jewish Chronicle, with leading columnists resigning in protest over the discredited articles. The London-based newspaper removed the article in question and other articles by a freelance journalist, saying it was “dissatisfied with some of its claims”.

The Bild article suggested that Hamas was not serious about negotiations and was using psychological warfare to fuel divisions in Israel. Netanyahu addressed this in a meeting with his Cabinet after it was published.

In a statement published over the weekend, he defended the article again, saying it “reveals Hamas’ methods of applying psychological pressure on the Israeli government and public at home and abroad, by blaming Israel for the failure of talks to release the hostages.”

Netanyahu tried to blame Hamas, which sparked the war with its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, for the failure of the talks. Hamas, still holding many hostagesHe said he would release them only in exchange for a permanent ceasefire, a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of large numbers of Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas says these demands have not changed since last month’s assassination greatest leader Yahya Sinwarsuch as the USA, Egypt and Qatar wants negotiations to be restarted.

Netanyahu, often described by critics as image-obsessed, He is being tried in three separate cases for corruptionTwo of these include accusations that he complimented media moguls in exchange for positive coverage.

His office downplayed the latest incident and accused the judiciary of bias, citing many other wartime leaks. It also denied that the leak had any impact on ceasefire talks.

“The document only aided efforts to return the hostages and certainly did not harm him,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Saturday, adding that he only learned of the document when it was made public.

His critics say the allegations are much more serious.

Yoav Limor, writing in the pro-Netanyahu newspaper Israel Hayom, called it “one of the most serious incidents Israel has ever seen.”

“The damage it causes goes beyond national security and raises suspicions that the prime minister’s office is acting to disrupt a hostage agreement contrary to the objectives of the war.”

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