Israel’s Attorney General has said that a close adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will face criminal prosecution for allegedly leaking secret information to a German newspaper with the intent of harming the country’s security.
The announcement marks another controversy for Netanyahu ahead of elections scheduled later this year. Netanyahu is already facing trial in three separate corruption cases.
The Attorney General’s office said it plans to indict Jonatan Urich over the leak of a classified document in 2024 to a German tabloid. Critics alleged the leak was aimed at helping Netanyahu avoid blame for failed negotiations with Hamas during the Gaza war.
Urich will also face charges of possessing confidential information and destruction of evidence. Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on the planned indictment.