A classified document leak involving a staff member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stirred up Israeli politics and angered families of hostages held by Hamas, who are actively pushing for a deal to bring their loved ones home.

Information about the leak has been limited due to a court gag order. However, a judge recently lifted some of the restrictions, allowing a glimpse into the case, which the court noted may have exposed sensitive security information and hindered Israel’s efforts to secure the hostages' release. "Classified and sensitive intelligence information was taken from IDF (Israel Defense Forces) systems and taken out illegally," a ruling by the Rishon Le-Zion Magistrates' Court said on Sunday, which may have caused "serious damage to the state's security and posed a risk to information sources".

The court stated that the leak might have disrupted efforts to free the hostages. Prime Minister Netanyahu denied any misconduct by his office staff and mentioned on Saturday that he only learned about the leaked document from media reports. Four people, including a spokesperson connected to Netanyahu and three members of the security establishment, are involved, but they haven’t commented publicly. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which requested the court lift the gag order, details from this document were initially reported by the German newspaper Bild on September 6.

An exclusive article reported on Hamas's negotiation tactics amid the ongoing conflict with Israel in Gaza, which has now lasted over a year. At that time, the United States, Qatar, and Egypt were involved in mediating talks to establish a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, aiming to include an agreement for the release of hostages held in Gaza. However, these discussions stalled, with each side—Israel and Hamas—blaming the other for the breakdown. The article echoed Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s claims that Hamas was responsible for the deadlock.

Days after six Israeli hostages were found dead in a Hamas tunnel in southern Gaza, there were widespread protests in Israel. The families of the victims expressed their anger towards Prime Minister Netanyahu, accusing him of sabotaging ceasefire negotiations for his own political gain. On Saturday, some of these families joined journalists in asking for the lifting of a gag order. "These people have been living on a roller-coaster of rumours and half-truths," said their lawyer, Dana Pugach.

"For the last year, they have been waiting to hear any intelligence or any information about negotiations for the release of those hostages. If some of that information had been stolen from army sources then we think that the families have the right to learn about any relevant detail," she said. According to Haaretz, the court approved the release of one suspect during another hearing on Sunday regarding the investigation by the Shin Bet internal security service, police, and military. Other suspects were placed under remand.

Bild responded that it does not comment on its sources when asked about the probe. "The authenticity of the document known to us was confirmed by the IDF immediately after publication," added the statement. The conflict in Gaza started when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. This attack resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people, and 251 hostages were taken back to Gaza. In response, Israel launched military actions that have led to over 43,000 Palestinian deaths and caused widespread destruction in Gaza.