In a major political development, Israeli police on January 12, 2026 detained Tzachi Braverman, the Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as part of an investigation into leaked classified military files related to the Gaza war.
Braverman was questioned for nearly 13 hours by Israel’s elite Lahav 433 major crimes unit. Although he was later released, strict conditions were imposed on him. He has been barred from entering the Prime Minister’s Office for 15 days and banned from leaving Israel for 30 days. These restrictions could affect his expected appointment as Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom.
The probe focuses on the leak of classified documents from the Prime Minister’s Office to the German newspaper Bild. The leaked material was used to claim that Hamas was not interested in a hostage deal, which had major political and diplomatic implications during the Gaza conflict.
The main suspect in the case is Eli Feldstein, a former Netanyahu spokesperson, who was arrested in October 2024 and charged with leaking intelligence. Feldstein has claimed that Braverman knew about a secret investigation into the leak and even suggested it could be stopped.
On Sunday, Feldstein and Braverman were brought face to face by investigators. The meeting reportedly lasted under 15 minutes. Braverman admitted to having a meeting with Feldstein but denied trying to block the investigation or warn him.
Another Prime Minister’s Office official, Omer Mansour, was also questioned and released under similar restrictions.
The leak scandal erupted amid public anger after six Israeli hostages were killed by Hamas in August 2024, leading to widespread protests against Netanyahu’s government. Feldstein is also linked to the controversial “Qatargate” case, involving alleged payments to influence media coverage in favour of Qatar.
