Israeli prime minister ‘handed’ leaked documents: Lawyer

JERUSALEM

The lawyer of a suspect in a security leaks scandal made a statement implicating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The case involves documents leaked by an employee in Netanyahu's office to the German newspaper Bild two months ago in an attempt to influence public opinion regarding a possible prisoner swap with Palestinian groups in Gaza.

The leaked documents aimed to give the impression that the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar did not want to reach an agreement on a hostage swap and cease-fire in Gaza.

At the time, Netanyahu was accused of sabotaging the chances for a swap agreement, while he blamed Sinwar.

Israeli security forces arrested five people on suspicions of involvement in the leak, including four soldiers and an employee in Netanyahu's office, who was identified as Eliezer Feldstein.

Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any knowledge of the case, but Michael Fetman, the lawyer for one of the suspects, confirmed that Netanyahu was handed the classified documents “at the heart of an ongoing investigation into illegal leaks to foreign media,” Israeli daily The Jerusalem Post reported.

Fetman told Israel’s Army Radio that Feldstein told his client that he had passed on the information to the prime minister and that "the prime minister wants more [information] and cleared a full day to treat the issue."

"Feldstein told my client that the document only reached Netanyahu and that the Prime Minister dedicated an entire day to handling the matter, requesting additional documents,” he continued.

The lawyer added that his client had no prior acquaintance with Feldstein but was given his number after inquiring about a way to pass on information directly to the prime minister's office.

It is still unclear if Feldstein did so on his own initiative or at the prime minister's orders.

“If correct, the new information brings the case a step closer to the prime minister himself,” the newspaper said.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala