According to the police, the “couple” was stopped in their vehicle at a crossing between the West Bank and Israel.
An Israeli man and a Palestinian woman from the West Bank were arrested after they pretended to be husband and wife in order to smuggle the woman across the border, the Israel Police stated on Wednesday.
According to the police, the “couple” was stopped in their vehicle at a crossing between the West Bank and Israel on Sunday. They claimed to be married and presented Israeli ID cards. Border security became suspicious, and the two were taken in for interrogation.
During questioning, it was discovered that the woman was a 45-year-old illegal resident from Tulkarm. The driver, a 39-year-old from the North, was presented with conflicting details from his story by interrogators, who eventually elicited his admission and solidified the case against him.
On Wednesday, the driver was indicted for transporting an illegal resident, aiding and abetting impersonation, and additional offenses connected to his actions, the police stated.
Border Police operate against illegal Palestinians on the Palestinian side of the separation barrier in the town of Bir Nabala, January 18, 2026. (credit: CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90)
Police crack down on illegal residents
Police have stepped up enforcement against illegal residents, including by cracking down on employers nationwide.
Last week, former Israel Police commissioner Roni Alsheich was questioned under caution on suspicion of employing an illegal resident from the West Bank.
Alsheich told investigators he did not know the worker and said his neighbor was handling contractors for the renovation.
An indictment has already been filed against the illegal resident, while the investigation regarding the former commissioner and his neighbor is ongoing, police said.
Police Commissioner Daniel Levi has decided that the evidence from the investigation of the former military advocate-general (MAG) Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi won’t be transferred to the Attorney General.
Israel Police on Tuesday announced the conclusion of the investigation of former military advocate-general Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi regarding the leak of CCTV footage from the Sde Teiman detention facility.
Following a briefing with the head of investigations and the probe team, Police Commissioner Daniel Levi instructed the force’s legal adviser to update Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s legal adviser on facts relevant to potential conflict-of-interest questions, and recommended appointing a senior external professional to review the case, according to a police statement.
Levi has announced that he has decided to adopt the position of the High Court of Justice to wait until the arrival of the Ministry of Justice legal adviser regarding a conflict of interest suspicion. He has determined that the investigation evidence of the Sde Teiman case will not be transferred to the Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Maariv reported.
The waiting goal is to create a possibility of transferring the investigation’s findings to an external body, as decided by the High Court.
The Israel Police explained in its statement that, since the Sde Teiman case is of high public sensitivity, “the Commissioner believes it is appropriate to allow an additional senior professional authority, external to the police, to review the entirety of the investigative actions carried out, as is customary in investigations of this type and as determined in a High Court of Justice ruling. Such an authority, it should be noted, has not yet been appointed.”
Head of the Shin Bet David Zini and Police commissioner Daniel Levy. November 03, 2025. (credit: MOSHE SHAI/FLASH90)
The Police Commissioner met with the head of the Investigations and Intelligence Division and with the investigation team, who reviewed before him the findings that arose in the case, Walla reported.
Israel Police has declared that, “The Commissioner reviewed various fundamental issues and received the necessary explanations from the investigative team. It should be noted that, contrary to inaccurate reports, the Police Commissioner did not interfere in the investigative work.”
It concluded, “In accordance with the opinion to be issued by the legal adviser of the Ministry of Justice, the investigative material will be transferred to an authorized review body, external to the police, which will be able to examine the investigation’s findings and the continuation of proceedings in the case, including the need for additional investigative steps, the summoning of additional witnesses and suspects, or alternatively, the filing of indictments against suspects found to be relevant.”
The investigation into MAG Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi’s case started after the Sde Teiman incident in 2024, developing into a deep national case into the IDF’s actions regarding dealing with Palestinian detainees.
Tomer-Yerushalmi Sde Teiman leak
The investigation into Tomer-Yerushalmi stems from a July 2024 incident at the Sde Teiman detention facility, in which IDF reservists were suspected of severely abusing a Palestinian detainee from Gaza. The alleged assault, which occurred during the early months of the war, was investigated by the Justice Ministry’s Police Investigation Department (PID) and later led to indictments against several soldiers.
The case drew heightened public attention about a month later, when video footage documenting the alleged abuse was leaked to the media and aired by television outlets, despite an active investigation and ongoing legal proceedings. The publication of the footage intensified political backlash against the military prosecution, with coalition lawmakers accusing the IDF legal system of selectively targeting soldiers and undermining morale during wartime.
In response to the leak, a separate criminal investigation was opened in late 2024 to determine how the footage reached the media and whether its release violated confidentiality obligations or constituted an abuse of authority. As part of that probe, investigators examined decisions made within the Military Advocate General’s Office regarding access to and handling of the material.
Tomer-Yerushalmi later acknowledged that she had approved the release of the footage, arguing that the decision was intended to counter misinformation circulating about the case and to demonstrate that the IDF was taking credible action. The admission placed the sitting MAG at the center of the leak investigation – an unprecedented development given the office’s role as the military’s chief prosecutorial authority.
Following the disclosure, Tomer-Yerushalmi stepped down from her post, and law enforcement authorities continued examining whether the authorization amounted to a criminal offense or fell within prosecutorial discretion. As of now, the investigation remains ongoing, with no final determinations announced regarding potential charges.
According to the military, the demolition notice was delivered after security forces completed the sealing of the attacker’s home.
The IDF has issued a demolition order for the home of the terrorist who killed two people in a combined terror attack in northern Israel in December, the military confirmed on Monday.
The attack, carried out across multiple locations, resulted in the murder of Shimshon Mordechai and Aviv Maor and wounded additional civilians.
According to the military, the demolition notice was delivered after security forces completed the sealing of the attacker’s home. The IDF said the action is part of measures approved after operational and legal review.
Combined terror attack killed two, wounded others
During the attack, the terrorist ran over and killed Mordechai near Beit She’an. The terrorist then fled in a vehicle, exiting it to stab Maor on Route 71.
The terrorist continued driving before being neutralized outside of Afula.
“When we arrived at the scene, we saw the boy sitting inside a car, conscious and suffering from injuries to his limbs.” Daniel Mousai, a Magen David Adom EMT, said. “Citizens who were there told us that he had been hit by a fleeing vehicle, and they helped him in the first moments.”
Mousai reports that just as they were loading the boy into an ambulance for him to be taken to the hospital, they received a report of an unconscious injured person on a nearby street.
“I immediately got to him and saw a 68-year-old man lying on the side of the road, suffering from a serious chest injury. Together with the intensive care unit team, we provided medical treatment and performed CPR, but his injury was fatal, and we had to pronounce him dead on the spot.”
Tzvi Jasper and Gadi Zaig contributed to this report.
The IDF received over 100 reports about the vehicle, which was spotted driving through floodwaters near the Beit Zayit Dam.
The Israel Fire and Rescue Authority announced that they are currently searching for a Jeep last seen carrying five passengers in the Jerusalem area on Thursday.
The IDF received over 100 reports about the vehicle, which was spotted driving through floodwaters near the Beit Zayit Dam.
Israel Fire and Rescue stated that they are currently scanning the dam area to locate the Jeep and its passengers.
Separately, emergency services rescued passengers trapped in a vehicle that was swept away by floodwater in the Kiryat Gat area. The rescued passengers were then taken away from the scene for medical examination.
Storm Byron makes landfall, causing extreme flooding
Storm Byron, an extremely powerful thunderstorm, made landfall in Israel on Wednesday night.
Vehicles are seen driving amid heavy flooding across the central Israeli city of Yavne, December 11, 2025 (VIA SECTION 27A OF THE COPRIGHT ACT)
High winds and severe flooding were reported across the country, with storm conditions causing major transportation disruptions.
Israel Railways announced on Thursday evening that train traffic between Lod and Beersheba has been temporarily halted, “due to a signaling fault in the Kiryat Gat area caused by weather conditions.”
Sections of highways 90 and 4370 were closed due to flooding, Israel Police and local municipalities announced.
In Tel Aviv, two young men were rescued by Magen David Adom paramedics when their car sank into mud near Eitan Livni Street.
In Yavne, at least 14 Israelis were rescued from vehicles stuck in floodwater, according to the Fire and Rescue Service.
Merchandise uncovered in a search of the shop owner’s home included cellphone cases featuring terrorist symbols and pictures of terrorists.
The IDF and Israel Police arrested a store owner on suspicion of selling “inciting materials to stores in the Old City of Jerusalem” in a joint operation on Thursday night.
The business was searched following intelligence gathered by the agency that alerted them to the sale of suspected “incitement” paraphernalia. Law enforcement confiscated numerous items and arrested the shop owner for questioning.
The search of the materials being sold uncovered “pictures of terrorists, necklaces and pendants with mobile phone covers with terrorist symbols and pictures of terrorists, amongst other items that encourage violence and terrorism,” according to an Israel Police spokesperson.
The owner of the store was arrested on suspicion of possessing incitement materials, distribution of incendiary propaganda, and support for a terrorist organization, according to the police.
A house in Nablus in the West Bank belonging to the suspect was searched early Friday morning in relation to the arrest and ongoing investigation.
Police searched a store in Jerusalem and a house in Nablus in relation to an investigation into the sale of incitement materials. (Credit: Israel Police)
Ongoing counterterrorism operations
This operation was part of an ongoing effort by Israel Police to crack down on the distribution of extremist content that may endanger public safety and harm the “proper fabric of life in the Old City of Jerusalem.”
In a statement released by the police, they assured the public that they, in collaboration with the IDF and other security forces, “will continue to act against any party involved in the production, distribution or sale of incitement materials, and will work to bring them to justice.”
Israel Police arrested MAG Tomer Yerushalmi and former military prosecutor Matan Solomesh in an ongoing investigation into a suspected leak and serious offenses.
MAG Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi and former military prosecutor Matan Solomesh were arrested late Sunday night as part of an ongoing Israel Police investigation into a suspected leak and other serious criminal offenses.
A police spokesperson said the arrests were carried out by a special investigative team and form part of a continuing inquiry.
Both suspects are expected to be brought on Sunday before the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court for a remand hearing, according to the police statement.
IDF Military Advocate-General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi seen at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, October 1, 2024 (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
Tomer-Yerushalmi found alive near Tel Aviv beach after suicide concerns
Former IDF Military Advocate-General Maj.-Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi was found alive and unharmed on Sunday evening on a beach in north Tel Aviv after a widespread search lasting hours, following a report of her disappearance, and fears were raised that she might take her own life.
The embattled top military jurist, the second woman in the IDF to hold the rank of major-general, resigned on Friday after Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to fire her for allegedly leaking the Sde Teiman investigation video that shows soldiers using excessive force against a Palestinian terrorist in detention. She then apparently lied about not knowing the source of the leak.
“This afternoon, we received a report about a missing person with concerns for her life. With bolstered forces, we arrived in the area and deployed all the resources at our disposal – by sea, on land, and through technological means. I can say that after extensive searches, she is currently being escorted by soldiers and police officers for a physical examination, and she will be brought to us at the police station,” the Tel Aviv District Police commander stated after she was found.
Yonah Jeremy Bob and Corinne Baum contributed to this story.
He was apprehended along with another suspect who also attempted to assault the arresting officers.
Israel Police arrested on Sunday morning a man in his 20s from Ramle, after he posted his intentions to carry out a terrorist attack in the city online.
During the arrest, the suspect set his dog on one of the officers, who, fearing for their life, killed the dog in self-defense.
He was apprehended along with another suspect who also attempted to assault the arresting officers.
The Israeli police pointing towards the inside of a car. (credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
40-year-old man killed in Kafr Kara, 215th victim of Arab crime in 2025
Ameen Agbariya, 40-years-old from the northern town of Kafr Kara, was killed in a shooting on Saturday night, Israel Police and the Abraham Initiatives, a co-existence NGO that tracks Arab sector crime rates, announced on Sunday.
When police officers and emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene, an investigation was opened, and Agbariya was evacuated in critical condition to the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera.
His death was later pronounced.
Agbariya’s death is the 215th victim of the Arab sector lost to criminal violence since the start of the calendar year. Of them, 182 were shot dead.
The crime rate has been on an unrelenting rise since 2022.
Teams are preparing to identify the fallen hostages, determine the causes of death, and support families, using scientific methods and human compassion
A nationwide operation to identify the fallen is underway: the Health Ministry and the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir said they have completed preparations to receive the remains of the hostages expected to return to Israel on Monday.
According to the official statement, this is among the most sensitive and complex processes in Israel’s health system, combining rigorous scientific work with a profound commitment to the families and the state.
The center, headed by Dr. Chen Kugel, is responsible for identification, investigating the circumstances of death, and providing certainty to families. The work will be carried out in close cooperation with the IDF, the Military Rabbinate, the Israel Police, and the Religious Services Ministry.
Dozens of specialists are involved at the institute, including forensic pathologists, anthropologists, radiologists, imaging and laboratory technicians, DNA experts, and forensic dentists, each responsible for a different stage of the identification process.
The Health Ministry emphasized that since the start of the war, the institute has operated continuously. Over the past two years, it has identified more than 50 hostages who were killed while in captivity. The accumulated experience enables the teams to act swiftly and professionally now as well, while safeguarding human dignity and providing emotional support to families.
People pay their respects while the convoy with the slain hostages arrive at the L. Greenberg Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir. February 20, 2025. (credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
The process of identification
Identification will proceed in precise stages, in line with accepted international protocols. Upon arrival, the remains will undergo an advanced full-body CT scan to locate unique markers, such as medical implants or old fractures, that can be matched with medical records provided by families.
A full forensic medical examination by specialist physicians will follow, including documentation of external identifying features, tattoos, scars, and injuries sustained before or after death.
Dental examinations will be performed by dentists from the Israel Police volunteer unit, comparing dental X-rays and previous records. The forensic radiology department, headed by Dr. Alon Krispin, will carry out additional comparisons using X-ray and CT imaging to identify distinctive anatomical features.
Samples will then be taken for advanced DNA testing at the center’s biological laboratory, led by Dr. Nurit Bublil. There, precise genetic analyses will be conducted and compared with reference samples collected from families.
The goal is to reach the highest possible level of certainty, which often requires an integrated effort across several disciplines, including genetics, anatomy, anthropology, and radiology.
Where findings are clear and the condition of the remains allows, identification can be completed in as little as an hour and a half. In complex cases, the process may take many hours or even several days until complete scientific certainty is achieved. Once identification is finalized, the findings will be submitted to the relevant authorities in the Health Ministry and the defense establishment, and families will be notified in person. Only then will the bodies be released for burial, in accordance with the families’ wishes and IDF procedures.
The human element is never forgotten
The institute stressed that even after the identification process is completed, its staff will remain available to families to explain the findings and answer questions. The aim is to ensure families fully understand the information and can reach personal closure.
The Health Ministry also addressed the psychological dimension of this national trauma. It noted that uncertainty and tension surrounding the identification process affect the entire public and urged awareness of one’s own mental state and that of the community.
Recommendations include mutual support among family and friends, avoiding disturbing videos or rumors, and engaging in activities that strengthen emotional resilience, such as spending time with loved ones and maintaining routine.
In addition, the ministry warned against spreading information that does not come from official sources and called on the public to act responsibly and sensitively toward bereaved families and those returning from captivity. “We all carry the invisible wounds of grief and pain,” the statement said. “It is likely that many around us are coping with loss. Be sensitive, and help those in distress.”
A Palestinian inmate slated for release under the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal attacked a female prison guard before being restrained and detained.
A Palestinian prisoner who was set to be released as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas attacked a female prison guard during the preparation process to release the prisoners, a spokesperson for the Israel Prison Service announced on Saturday evening.
Other prison staff subdued the prisoner, and the guard received medical treatment on-site.
The prisoner involved was subsequently transferred for detention and interrogation by the Israel Police.
The number of Palestinian security prisoners being released by Israel in exchange for the return of 48 hostages, 20 still alive, is the lowest ratio agreed upon in decades, Walla reported on Friday night.
Walla learned that the final list of security prisoners includes 195 prisoners serving life sentences, and only 60 of them are Hamas operatives. Just for comparison, in the Gilad Schalit deal, 450 Hamas operatives were released, including prisoners who led significant terrorism against the State of Israel.
Gilad Schalit and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (credit: STEWART WEISS)
The 1,700 Gaza detainees who will be released will not be terrorists who raided on October 7, 2023, and the release of Hamas operatives has been limited as much as possible.
Who are some of the prisoners being released?
Jihad A-Karim Azziz Rom, a terrorist who participated in the lynching of IDF reservists Vadim Norzitch and Yosef Avrahami in 2000 and the abduction and murder of Yuri Gushchin in 2001, is set to be released as part of the Gaza peace deal, Maariv reported early on Friday morning after the Israeli government approved the deal.
Rom, who was 26 at the time of the lynching, was sentenced to life for Guschin’s murder plus an additional 20 years for his role in the killing of the two reservists.
Baher Badr, one of the terrorists responsible for a suicide bombing in Tzirifin in 2004, is also reportedly set to be released. Bader was sentenced to 11 life sentences.
Israel has reportedly refused to release any child murderers, life prisoners who have served less than a decade in prison, and those defined as ‘terror symbols’ will not be released.
Danielle Greyman-Kennard, Amir Bohbot, and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.
Additionally, indictments were filed against two others who were reportingly working with the Islamic Republic.
A 23-year-old Israeli who works at a hotel at the Dead Sea was arrested this week on suspicion of spying for Iran, Israel Police announced on Friday.
Lahav 433 and the Shin Bet conducted the investigation, and revealed that he had been in contact with Iranian intelligence officials for some time and had carried out missions under their direction.
According to the police statement, the Israeli citizen carried out “collection missions” for the Islamic Republic at the hotel where he worked.
He had also reportedly taken photographs of the hotel and its surroundings for Iranian intelligence.
Two others indicted the same day for spying for Iran
KAN additionally reported on Friday that another civilian, Tal Amram, 26, and an IDF reservist, Maor Kringel, 27, had indictments filed against them.
THE EROSION of the Dead Sea. (credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Both of them are residents of Holon, Walla reported.
Kringel is accused of aiding enemy forces during wartime by providing them with key information. He provided Iranian agents with documentation and locations of ports, stores, shopping malls, private homes, public centers, municipal buildings, and government and judicial bodies, according to KAN.
The indictment filed by the Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office said that he maintained contact with Iranian agents from mid-2024 until his arrest last August.
He had also informed the foreign agents of his reserve service, and provided addresses of the various IDF bases where he had served, Israeli media reported. Other reports in Israeli media said that Kringel was asked by the foreign agents to kill his commander in exchange for NIS 100,000, and that he was invited to attend meetings with Iranian agents in Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Last January, at the request of the foreign agents, he began recruiting additional Israeli citizens to carry out the missions, including Tal Amram. Amram contacted one of the foreign agents the following month, knowing that he was acting on behalf of an operative hostile to Israel.
Israel Police explained that “four suspects were arrested for disrupting the peace and attacking police officers during an illegal protest in Kfar Saba.”
Israel Police arrested four people Saturday night during a protest in Kfar Saba, where Likud MK Eli Dalal stumbled to the ground while making his way through the protesting crowd.
Israel Police later elaborated by saying that “four suspects were arrested for disrupting the peace and attacking police officers during an illegal protest in Kfar Saba. Meanwhile, the police removed the protesters from the building, and the incident is under control.”
The protest took place in front of a Likud event, and was demanding for the establishment of a deal that would guarantee the return of all the hostages and an end to the war in Gaza. They also protested against David Zini’s appointment as head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).
“I felt like I was going through a lynching. We’re in the month of Yom Kippur; we can argue, but I saw hatred in the eyes,” Dalal said to N12 and added, “We all need to be horrified, we might reach murder. We need to calm down. Ready to talk with anyone and negotiate but not in a way of violence.”
The Prime Minister’s Office referred to the event in a statement: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with MK Eli Dalal and expressed shock at the attack carried out against him at the Likud conference in Kfar Saba. The Prime Minister called on the Israel Police to bring the attackers to justice and warned against the wild incitement against coalition members.”
This incitement is becoming more extreme every day as the rioters who incite discover that the majority of the public is not with them. If the law enforcement authorities do not put an end to these dangerous phenomena, it will end in blood on their hands.”
Reactions to Kfar Saba protest
Other key figures from Likud also commented on the situation, with Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana saying that what happened in Kfar Saba was proof that “the legal advisor to the protest is ready to legitimize everything, even violence, just so that the government falls.”
“Forget that he’s a Knesset member, an *adult* person aged 70 (and also, one of the most moderate and charming there are) is thrown to the floor, and these filthy “democratic” maggots are throwing objects at him,” he posted in X/Twitter.
“I strongly condemn the violent attack against Knesset member Eli Dalal,” said Transportation Minister Miri Regev. “Again and again, we are witnessing the same rioters from the left. Last week it was against me in Petah Tikva, today it’s against Dalal, and in parallel in Jerusalem they are breaking through the fences around the Prime Minister’s Residence, to remind you that two weeks ago they set fire to vehicles there!”
“This is not a protest; this is anarchy. Freedom of expression is a supreme value in democracy, but violence, arson, and break-ins must stop. I call on the law enforcement system to stop the selective enforcement and to act with an iron fist and to exhaust the full legal proceedings against the rioters,” she added.
He said “settlement brings security” and that “it is time for Jewish settlement in Gaza,” calling the plan “a symbol of our faith and vision.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir intends to establish a seafront neighborhood for police officers in the Gaza Strip after the total defeat of Hamas, he announced on Monday at a state police excellence ceremony ahead of Rosh Hashanah.
Ben-Gvir framed the idea as part of a broader effort to strengthen the Israel Police and argued that Jewish settlement enhances security, according to his remarks at the event.
“On the eve of the New Year, we gather to thankIsrael’s police officers, who stand on the front line day and night,” Ben-Gvir said, praising their courage and dedication. “The people are with you, the state is with you,” he added.
Ben-Gvir cited recent investments in police housing, listing projects in Sderot, Beersheba, Beit Shemesh, and Jerusalem’s Nahlaot neighborhood. He said the goal is to continue expanding housing solutions for officers as part of a wider resources push for the force.
Looking ahead, Ben-Gvir said he is “already planning the next neighborhood for police in one of the most beautiful places in the Middle East,” adding that after “finishing the decision in Gaza,” he aims to build “a luxurious police neighborhood facing the sea.” He said “settlement brings security” and that “it is time for Jewish settlement in Gaza,” calling the plan “a symbol of our faith and vision.”
Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levi and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir speak during a ceremony at the National Police Academy in Beit Shemesh, September 15, 2025 (credit: OREN BEN HAKOON/FLASH90)
Ben-Gvir’s history of tough Gaza stances
Ben-Gvir has repeatedly advocated reshaping Israel’s post-war policy in Gaza, including opposing ceasefire initiatives and promoting a tougher stance on the Strip, according to prior Jerusalem Post reporting. In July 2025, he rallied right-wing allies to block a proposed Gaza ceasefire framework.
His call for Jewish resettlement in Gaza echoes statements he has made since the early months of the war and into 2024, when he argued the “time is right” to incentivize Palestinian emigration alongside renewed settlement.
He reiterated those themes during public appearances in 2025, including a controversial US trip, where he spoke about a fully Jewish Gaza.
Israel Police sought to prolong restrictions on PMO aide Yonatan Urich, a key Qatargate suspect, saying more steps are needed to complete the probe.
Israel Police requested on Wednesday to extend the restricted measures imposed on Yonatan Urich, an advisor to the prime minister and one of the chief suspects in the “Qatargate” investigations, for 60 days.
At the hearing at the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court, police representative Aviv Porat explained that some of the investigative measures have been used and exhausted, but not all, and what the police wants to do would require the approval of the most senior figures in the Justice Ministry.
This same scenario took place just a few weeks ago, when Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court judge Menahem Mizrahi denied the request to extend the measures, the police appealed to the Lod District, and there, Judge Amit Michles overturned the request and reinstated the measures.
At that hearing, the police’s investigative unit said it expects the investigation will wrap up within the next few weeks.
Urich, along with the former military spokesman in the Prime Minister’s OfficeEli Feldstein, was arrested in March on suspicion of working on a public relations campaign for Qatar while working in the PMO and close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Attorney Amit Hadad arrives for a court hearing of Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein who were arrested in the so-called Qatargate investigation, at the Magistrate’s Court in Rishon Lezion, April 1, 2025. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
Allegedly, this concerned a public image campaign surrounding the 2022 World Cup hosted by Qatar.
The ‘Leaked Documents Affair’
The severity of the connection is related to the Israel-Hamas War, whereQatar served as a mediator and has close connections to Hamas. Specifically, suspicions began to arise around November of last year against Feldstein, who worked closely with Urich, regarding the “Leaked Documents Affair,” in which Feldstein allegedly leaked classified military documents to the German tabloid Bild, after permission for their publication was denied by the Israeli military censor.
The documents were eventually published, allegedly to sway public opinion on the hostage negotiations. This was around August 2024, when six hostages were killed by their Hamas captors in a tunnel: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Almog Sarusi, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, and Alex Lobanov.
According to the police, a 36-year-old suspect was arrested and transferred for questioning in connection with a letter containing a threat to harm the A-G.
Israel Police opened an investigation after finding a letter containing a threat to harm Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara in Jerusalem, Israel Police stated on Wednesday.
According to the police, a 36-year-old suspect was arrested and transferred for questioning in connection with the letter. He is expected to be brought before a court for an extension of his detention to continue the investigation into his actions on Thursday.
The investigation was opened at the request of the Religious Services Ministry, after former Sephardi chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef warned ha had received a letter asking for permission to hurt the A-G.
“The rabbi’s office was alerted to a threat that appears real and may immediately endanger the life of the Attorney-General,” the police stated.
Another letter with a direct threat to Baharav-Miara was found later on near a residential building in Jerusalem, according to the police.
Attorney-General Gali Baharv-Miara seen with Justice Minister Yariv Levin at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on October 1, 2024 (credit: OREN BEN HAKOON/POOL)
A-G Baharav-Miara’s firing and its fight with the government
For the last couple of months, the Israeli government has been in a fight with the A-G with the objective of taking her out of the position.
“The locks on the minister’s office in Tel Aviv were indeed changed, but it is the minister’s office and not of Gali Baharav-Miara’s. Her attempt to make unauthorized use of the minister’s office is another example of puzzling behavior on the part of someone who has already been removed from her position,” Levin said.
Baharav-Miara explained that “the decades-long custom in the Justice Ministry is that the staff of the Attorney-General’s Office sits at the Tel Aviv offices.”
“Only after the government decision [to fire Baharav-Miara] was a one-sided decision reached to block the A-G’s access from the office – and all with no explanation,” she wrote.
She added that this defies the High Court order not to change any aspect of her job. “It appears that the goal of this act was to harm the attorney-general’s standing and professionalism.”
The 24-year-old suspect was apprehended on August 6 during a joint operation by the Israel Police officers from the Etzion police station in the West Bank and the IDF.
The 24-year-old suspect was apprehended on August 6 during a joint operation by the Israel Police officers from the Etzion police station in the West Bank and the IDF.
After her arrest, the suspect was brought in for interrogation.
Since then, an investigation has been conducted in cooperation with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and other intelligence agencies.
Suspect carried out assignments
According to the allegations, she not only maintained contact with an Iranian agent but also carried out various assignments on his behalf, N12 reported.
The Israeli police pointing towards the inside of a car. (credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
During questioning, she admitted to some of the charges and provided details about her connections with the Iranian agent and the tasks she had completed, according to N12. As the interrogation continued, she fully confessed to all the accusations.
At the same time, the Military Prosecutor’s Office requested further investigations, including technological tests and additional intelligence-gathering operations, to strengthen the evidence against her.
As a result, the Military Court extended her detention by eight more days to allow the investigation to continue, N12 added.