Netanyahu aide Jonatan Urich indicted over alleged classified leak to German newspaper
A senior media adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been formally indicted over the alleged leaking of classified military intelligence to a German newspaper. Prosecutors say Jonatan Urich was involved in passing on a document from IDF military intelligence in September 2024, in a case they say was intended to influence the public narrative around a hostage deal. The indictment also alleges that the leak was carried out despite the material being blocked by the military censor.
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According to the charges, the document was an internal Hamas memo obtained by IDF intelligence and later routed through Urich and former military affairs spokesman Eli Feldstein, with the material said to have come from Ari Rosenfeld, an IDF Military Intelligence non-commissioned officer. Prosecutors allege the leak was made to bypass censorship restrictions and that those involved took a real risk of harming critical security interests. They also say Urich destroyed evidence by switching phones after Feldstein and Rosenfeld were arrested.
The State Attorney's Office said the actions of Urich, Feldstein and Rosenfeld led to the disclosure of the existence of a secret intelligence asset, its capabilities and the methods by which it was used. It said the disclosure could cause real damage to Israel's security interests, particularly in intelligence gathering and the protection of intelligence sources. The office added that such information can expose missions, capabilities and operational methods used by the intelligence community in different arenas.
The case is significant because it sits at the intersection of national security, censorship and political messaging during the Gaza war. The alleged leak was tied to efforts to support Netanyahu's claim that Hamas, rather than the prime minister, was blocking a hostage deal. It also came days after six hostages were killed by Hamas when Israeli forces accidentally reached the place where they were being held beneath Rafah in southern Gaza, adding to the sensitivity of the political and security context.
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The indictment broadens a case that has already drawn in several figures close to the prime minister's circle. Feldstein, who previously served as Netanyahu's military affairs spokesman, and Rosenfeld are both named in the allegations linked to the document. Prosecutors asked the Tel Aviv District Court to bar Urich from the Prime Minister's Office and from all security facilities, although the court declined to impose immediate restrictions.
What remains unclear is how the court will handle the case as it moves forward and whether further evidence will emerge about the chain of custody for the document. The hearing was scheduled after the indictment, and the legal process is expected to test the boundaries between state secrecy, media handling and political communication. It is also not yet clear whether the allegations will lead to further action against others connected to the leak.
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