Israel Caught Its Police Spying on Citizens With Pegasus—Then Killed the Investigation

The Probe Is Dead

On February 14, 2026, members of Israel's government commission investigating the police's unauthorized use of Pegasus spyware announced their resignation. In a letter to Justice Minister Yariv Levin, the committee accused law enforcement agencies of coordinating efforts to prevent them from reaching the truth.

The resignation effectively kills the only official investigation into what the committee itself described as an affair "far more severe, in depth and scope, than previously portrayed."

How It Started

The scandal first broke in January 2022 when Israeli business newspaper Calcalist published a bombshell report revealing that the Israeli police had been using NSO Group's Pegasus spyware to hack into the phones of its own citizens. The surveillance was carried out without court warrants, or with warrants obtained through misleading information, and targeted people with no suspected criminal activity and no open investigations.

A follow up report in February 2022 expanded the scope dramatically. The warrantless surveillance had hit political protest leaders, politicians, corporate executives, journalists, and activists. Among those targeted were associates of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including Topaz Luk and Yonatan Urich, as well as Netanyahu's son Avner.

Israeli police had access to Pegasus since 2013 and began actively using the tool after December 2015. On February 1, 2022, the police admitted that there had been misuse of the software.

What Pegasus Can Do

For those unfamiliar with Pegasus, it is one of the most powerful surveillance tools ever created. Developed by Israeli firm NSO Group, it can silently infect a smartphone through zero click exploits, meaning the target does not need to open a link or download anything.

Once installed, Pegasus gains full access to SMS messages, emails, photos, contacts, calendar entries, GPS data, call logs, and all installed apps. It can activate the phone's microphone and camera without the owner's knowledge. It can even intercept messages from encrypted apps like WhatsApp and Signal before they are encrypted.

The Obstruction

The government commission was established in August 2023 to investigate the police's conduct. From the beginning, it faced resistance. Committee members said the authorities under investigation refused to provide necessary information, denied access to key witnesses, and avoided discussions with the commission entirely.

The obstruction went beyond the police. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara objected to the commission reviewing any police or State Attorney's Office activities related to the criminal cases against Netanyahu or any active criminal proceedings. In June 2025, the High Court of Justice issued a conditional injunction demanding the government explain why the commission should not be dismantled, and proposed curbing the committee's powers.

The committee said these restrictions made "a true investigation" impossible. In their resignation letter, members cited "extreme limitations imposed on our work that prevent us from reaching the truth and providing a reliable and exhaustive account to the public."

What the Committee Found Before It Was Shut Down

Despite the obstruction, the committee managed to uncover troubling information. Members stated they were "presented with information, unusual findings and troubling signs" suggesting the Pegasus affair was far more extensive than previously known.

In January 2026, an Israeli watchdog separately found that police had used unapproved spyware tools for years to collect data illegally, adding another layer to the scandal. Justice Minister Itamar Ben Gvir blamed three Supreme Court justices of "knowingly joining forces with law enforcement bodies to cover up" what he called serious violations of human and civil rights.

A Pattern of Impunity

Israel's collapsed probe fits a broader global pattern. Governments and law enforcement agencies that deploy commercial spyware against their own citizens rarely face meaningful consequences.

In Spain, a Pegasus investigation targeting dozens of Catalan politicians was dropped after Israel refused to cooperate. In Jordan, Cellebrite phone hacking tools were used against Gaza war critics with no accountability. In Saudi Arabia, a court recently ordered the kingdom to pay £3 million for a Pegasus attack on a satirist, but collecting the judgment remains uncertain.

The pattern is consistent: surveillance happens, public outrage follows, an investigation is launched, and then the investigation stalls or collapses before anyone is held accountable.

What This Means

The collapse of Israel's Pegasus probe sends a clear message: even when police surveillance is exposed, documented, and admitted to, the institutions responsible for oversight can be blocked from doing their job. When the investigators themselves say the affair is worse than anyone thought and then resign because they cannot investigate further, the public is left with no answers and no accountability.

For journalists, activists, and anyone who communicates sensitive information by phone or email, the lesson is stark. Government surveillance capabilities are expanding, commercial spyware is proliferating, and the mechanisms meant to keep law enforcement in check are failing.

The phones that were hacked without warrants have not been un-hacked. The data that was collected without authorization has not been deleted. And the people who ordered the surveillance remain in their positions.