Jerusalem District Police officers have arrested a Palestinian man for breaking into and accessing the medical file of a recently released female hostage, the police announced on Thursday afternoon.
The suspect, a 40-year-old resident of Ramallah, is an employee of a medical facility in east Jerusalem. According to the police, he accessed the hostage’s medical records out of "curiosity."
In recent weeks, the fraud division of the Jerusalem District’s Central Unit received a complaint from a major medical institution alleging that someone had gained unauthorized access to the personal medical file of a hostage who was freed in phase one of the 2025 deal.
The police's covert investigation confirmed that the breach took place in a facility in Kafr Akab, and that the incident took place just days after the hostage's return.
Arrest and interrogation of suspect
The suspect was arrested at his workplace in Kfar Akab on Wednesday night by undercover Border Police officers.
The police said that he was taken for questioning by the fraud division on suspicion of privacy violations, computer system penetration, and other offenses committed with a suspected nationalistic motive.
In his interrogation, the man told cyber investigators he acted out of "personal curiosity."
Israel Police said it "takes any misuse of a position to violate an individual’s privacy very seriously, especially when it involves personal and private information of hostages or victims."
The identity of the hostage is not allowed to be published due to a court order.