Israeli government grappling with ‘plague of leaks’: Netanyahu

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that his government is grappling with a "plague of leaks.”

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu proposed having ministers who attend security meetings or receive briefings undergo a polygraph test.

“We have a plague of leaks and I am not willing to continue like this, which is why I directed the promotion of a law that everyone who sits in cabinets and security discussions, including the political and professional ranks — will undergo a polygraph,” he added in statements cited by Israeli Channel 12.

Israeli media reported disputes between ministers and military officials during a Cabinet meeting last week about the post-Hamas era in the Gaza Strip following the current Israeli war.

Israel has launched air and ground attacks on Gaza following the Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, killing at least 22,835 Palestinians and injuring 58,416 others, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure damaged or destroyed, and nearly 2 million residents displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicines.

​​​​​​​*Writing by Mohammad Sio