Israeli court orders house arrest for Netanyahu aides amid 'Qatargate' investigation

JERUSALEM

An Israeli court on Friday ordered the release of two close aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, placing them under house arrest for two weeks in connection with the ongoing “Qatargate” investigation.

According to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, a judge at the Central District Court ruled to release Netanyahu's advisers, Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, following a contentious hearing that saw harsh criticism of police conduct.

The decision came after Israeli police requested a seven-day extension of the duo’s detention, citing a preliminary report that suggested their alleged actions posed a "potential threat to national security" due to suspected meetings with a Qatari lobbying group, KAN reported.

However, Judge Menachem Mizrahi rejected the request, arguing that the report was merely a draft and lacked substantive evidence. He stated that the document did not present any clear indication of how the suspects’ actions had caused direct harm to Israel's security, according to KAN.

In what was described as a tense court session, Judge Mizrahi expressed strong reservations about what he called “the excessive and unjustified use of the security threat argument.” He noted that the police had not initially made any such claims when the investigation began.

On Monday, Israeli police arrested Urich and Feldstein in connection with the case dubbed “Qatargate,” which involves allegations that officials in Netanyahu’s office promoted Qatari interests.

Israeli media reported that police believe the two aides received money from a US-based PR firm working for Qatar to enhance the Gulf state’s image in Israel.

Qatar has denied the accusations, while Netanyahu dismissed the investigation as a political witch hunt aimed at toppling his right-wing government.