Prosecutors move to indict Netanyahu chief of staff in Bild leak probe

Tzachi Braverman, the chief of staff to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is set to face criminal charges related to the 2024 leak of classified Israeli military documents to Germany's Bild newspaper. Hebrew media reported on Monday that Justice Ministry officials intend to file an indictment following a hearing held last month.

The planned charges include fraud, breach of trust, and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors allege that Braverman held a secret meeting at night with Eli Feldstein, the primary suspect in the leak affair. During this encounter, Braverman is suspected of informing Feldstein that an investigation into the disclosure was underway. He allegedly suggested that the probe could be halted if Feldstein was formally connected to the matter.

Feldstein and another central suspect were arrested several days after this alleged meeting. Both were subsequently indicted on charges of transferring classified documents. Jonatan Urich, a senior media adviser to Netanyahu, is also charged with transferring classified information with the intent to harm state security.

The leaked material was an internal Hamas memorandum obtained by Israeli military intelligence. The document, which was approximately nine months old at the time of its release, appeared to indicate that Hamas had no interest in a hostage agreement. It was disclosed shortly after Hamas killed six hostages while Israeli troops approached their captivity site beneath Rafah in southern Gaza. Prosecutors say the leak was intended to bypass the Israeli military censor.

Media reports later suggested that Bild distorted the memorandum's contents to support Netanyahu's position that Hamas was delaying a deal to free the hostages. Neither the State Attorney's Office nor Braverman commented on the reports of the impending indictment on Monday.

The legal proceedings have blocked Braverman from assuming his new role as Israel's ambassador to the United Kingdom. He is also under separate investigation for suspicion of forgery and fraud. This second probe involves the alleged unlawful alteration of records in the Prime Minister's Office concerning the day of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack.