Israeli Shin Bet operative arrested over leak of captive rescue plan

An operative from Israel's domestic intelligence service has been held in prison for 10 months after leaking plans on an Israeli "rescue operation" that saw the recovery of four Israeli captives in Gaza as well as the killing of over 270 Palestinians.

The case, which was initially reported in July 2024 but placed under a gag order, involves a female Shin Bet employee who shared details of the deadly Israeli operation to her brother and brother-in-law.

The information was then passed onto a third party and ended up on messaging service Telegram.

The employee was subsequently arrested and denied legal counsel for four days, according to Ynet. Six weeks later she was indicted on charges relating to classified information and has since been under house arrest as her trial continues.

A statement released by the Shin Bet, Israeli Police and State Attorney's Office in July read that she had "transferred classified information to unauthorised individuals, in violation of explicit orders, thereby endangering lives and state security”, although it also said that no harmful intent was found.

The revelation is the second since the arrest of a Shin Bet reservist ‘A’, who leaked information of the agency's investigation into Kahanist infiltration into Israel's police and a probe into failings over Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel to the press and a government minister.

At least 20 suspected leaks from the agency during the war are currently being investigated, according to Ynet.

As well as the leaks, the head of the Shin Bet is embroiled in a clash, alongside the attorney general, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which has attempted to oust both.