Israel 'spied' on Kerry during peace talks, Der Spiegel reports

Israeli intelligence spied on United States Secretary of State John Kerry during the latest failed round of Middle East peace talks, the German newspaper Der Spiegel reported Sunday, threatening to worsen already tense relations between the two countries.

“During the peak stage of peace talks last year, Kerry spoke regularly with high-ranking negotiating partners,” Spiegel said. “Some of these calls were not made on encrypted equipment, but instead on normal telephones, with the conversations transmitted by satellite. Israeli intelligence agencies intercepted some of those calls.”

Israel’s government then used information obtained from the calls during peace negotiations, Der Spiegel said, relying on several anonymous intelligence sources for its investigation.

The allegations could exacerbate already tense relations between Washington and Tel Aviv.

Israel’s latest offensive in Gaza, launched about four weeks ago, has left nearly 1,800 Gazans dead — most of them civilians — and has prompted U.S. efforts to end the assault. Three civilians in Israel have been killed by rockets fired from armed groups in Gaza, and almost 60 soldiers have died in combat.

Tensions apparently boiled over between Israel and the U.S. when the White House did not directly blame Hamas for the disappearance of an Israeli soldier on Friday after a failed attempt at a 72-hour cease-fire.

In Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reportedly angry Saturday call to U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, the prime minister demanded that Washington defer to his judgment on how best to deal with Hamas, sources familiar with the call said.

Netanyahu allegedly told Shapiro and the White House “not to ever second guess me again” after the U.S. insisted that Israel agree to a truce with Hamas.

Netanyahu added that he now “expected” the U.S. to fully support Israel’s actions in Gaza. The prime minister denied the reports, saying Israeli media misrepresented the conversation.