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Against the backdrop of the investigation into A., a Shin Bet reservist suspected of leaking classified information to journalists and Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, details of a separate, serious case were cleared for publication Tuesday night.
The case, first reported in June 2024, involves a female Shin Bet employee who as of April has been under house arrest for past eight months on suspicion of leaking details of “Operation Arnon” — in which four Israeli hostages were rescued from Hamas captivity — before it was carried out, thereby allegedly endangering both the soldiers involved and the hostages.
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Footage of the rescue operation in Gaza
(Video: Israel Police)
The employee’s investigation was revealed on July 30, 2024, but received little media coverage due to a gag order at the time.
According to investigators, the employee shared classified details about the operation with her brother and brother-in-law. The two passed the information to a third party, who then leaked it to a Telegram group. The leak could have compromised the mission, which ultimately resulted in the successful rescue of Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Shlomi Ziv and Andrey Kozlov from Gaza.
The employee was arrested and denied access to legal counsel for four days. About six weeks later, she was indicted on charges of delivering classified information. Nearly ten months later, she remains under house arrest with restricted conditions as her trial continues.
In a joint statement issued by the Shin Bet, Israeli police and the State Attorney’s Office in July, officials said the employee “transferred classified information to unauthorized individuals, in violation of explicit orders, thereby endangering lives and state security.”
“However, no evidence was found of intent to cause harm,” the statement added. “This is an unusual and serious incident that does not reflect the values of the organization or its personnel.”
The identities of the employee and the two other defendants remain under a gag order, as do further details of the case.
Both incidents — the leak involving A. and the case against the female employee — took place during the war and were conducted under sweeping gag orders. The Shin Bet has employed extraordinary measures, including restricting access to legal counsel, in an effort to stem internal leaks.
The agency revealed on Monday that it has opened investigations into 20 suspected leaks since the war began.
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