Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, acting on advice from security officials, directed the Shin Bet to investigate the alleged disclosure of the start date for Operation Roaring Lion to an unnamed media outlet.

During a recent cabinet meeting, Shin Bet chief David Zini explained that an investigation was possible but would prove challenging due to the large number of individuals aware of the secret, making the chances of identifying the source low.

Following the meeting, the prime minister issued a further order to proceed with the probe and deliver findings directly to him.

After an internal review, the agency's legal advisers concluded that the directive required opening a formal investigation.

It was also determined that, since there was no intention to question journalists about the leak but only members of the defense establishment, there was no need to obtain the attorney-general's approval. The investigation could instead rely on the prime minister's directive and the powers granted to the intelligence agency.

Without confirming the accuracy of any particular report, the Shin Bet stated that investigations into leaks of classified information are opened under the authority and at the discretion of the Shin Bet chief, only after an orderly process involving the agency's professional and legal officials, and pursuant to its statutory responsibility to prevent leaks from the core of the defense establishment.

The agency stressed that the purpose of the investigation is to seal the breach within the defense establishment. Any attempt to attribute professional decisions made by the Shin Bet chief in order to fulfill the agency's mission to discussions held with one person or another is entirely without foundation, it added.

The decision regarding the need for a leak investigation was made by the Shin Bet chief long before the meeting in question took place. It should also be noted that the Shin Bet chief periodically meets with journalists from a wide and diverse range of media outlets.

US officials expressed outrage over the reported intelligence leak, criticizing Israel's information security practices during conversations with their Israeli counterparts. The Defense Security Authority, after being asked by Defense Minister Israel Katz to review the matter, also recommended that it be investigated.

The announcement came against the backdrop of claims that Shin Bet chief David Zini met with a commentator to advance an investigation into the leak about the war with Iran. It was further claimed that Zini subsequently asked the attorney-general for immediate approval to open an investigation into the matter.