Israeli police on Monday said they had arrested two of the closest aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, on suspicion of illicit ties to the Qatari government.

The arrests on Monday mark a development in what local media has dubbed as Qatargate — an investigation probing potential foreign influence, national security breaches and political misconduct.

Shortly after the arrests, Netanyahu himself was summoned by police to his office in Jerusalem. He had left his ongoing corruption trial in Tel Aviv earlier in the day to comply with the summons issued by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, according to Israeli media.

Netanyahu is not listed as a suspect in the case. He was questioned as someone with knowledge of the affair, local media reported.

The arrests were carried out by Lahav 433, Israel's elite anti-corruption and serious crimes unit, in coordination with domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet. The investigation is operating under a court-imposed gag order until April 10.

Allegations at heart of Qatargate case

The case centers on allegations that Feldstein, Netanyahu's former spokesperson, worked for an international firm contracted by Qatar while simultaneously employed at the Prime Minister's Office. According to investigators, Feldstein allegedly promoted pro-Qatar narratives to Israeli media while receiving payments from the Gulf state.

Feldstein has previously faced charges for leaking classified documents related to hostage negotiations with Hamas.

The current investigation expands on those charges, potentially implicating others within Netanyahu's inner circle in a broader scheme involving foreign interference and misuse of government resources.

The charges under review reportedly include bribery, breach of trust, money laundering, contact with a foreign agent and national security violations.

Netanyahu's Likud party condemns investigation

Netanyahu's ruling Likud party has responded with fierce condemnation, calling the arrests politically motivated and part of an orchestrated effort to unseat the prime minister.

A statement released by the party on Monday accused the Attorney General's Office and Shin Bet of "conducting fabricated investigations'' and attempting to "carry out a coup d'etat through arrest warrants.''

"This is not an investigation. This is not law enforcement,'' the statement read. "This is an assassination attempt on democracy.''

The party claimed the arrests were intended to block Netanyahu's efforts to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and Attorney General Baharav-Miara, both of whom are reportedly under government scrutiny.

The Supreme Court has temporarily frozen Bar's removal and will hear the case on April 8.

But the opposition has pushed back against Likud's narrative. Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, criticized the ruling bloc's failure to directly deny financial ties between Netanyahu's aides and Qatar.

"The sentence that does not appear in the Likud statement and that should be noted: ‘No one from Benjamin Netanyahu's office received money from Qatar,''' Lapid said in a parliamentary session.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu's legal troubles continue on multiple fronts. Aside from the Qatargate probe, he remains on trial for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in unrelated corruption cases.

Why Qatar?

Although Israel and Qatar lack formal diplomatic ties, Doha has played a key mediating role in indirect negotiations with Hamas during the ongoing war in Gaza.

The Gulf nation's alleged financial links to Netanyahu's aides — particularly during sensitive hostage talks— have raised concerns about national security and foreign influence.

Legal experts suggest that if funds from Qatar were indeed funneled to Israeli officials during active negotiations, it could constitute a serious breach of national security laws.

Edited by Richard Connor