Details have emerged from the indictment of two Israelis who allegedly used classified information to place bets on Israeli military operations on Polymarket, which involves an Israeli Air Force reservist with the rank of major. The Tel Aviv District Court on Thursday evening allowed publication of the details of the indictment.
In June — two days before the start of Operation Rising Lion — the officer passed information to a friend about the launch of the operation in Iran so that the friend could place a bet on the timing of the strike, according to the indictment. The insider information enabled the friend to win $162,000 on the popular betting site Polymarket.
The indictment states that the reservist took part in a classified briefing about the operation - during which its launch date was disclosed - and signed a confidentiality agreement. Despite this, he sent his friend a WhatsApp message stating that the strike on Iran would take place on the night of June 12.
The friend placed a bet on the site that the strike would occur before July, and the officer encouraged him to significantly increase the amount wagered. After receiving the information, the friend shared it with five additional acquaintances. As a result, he won $162,663 on Polymarket. The indictment also states that he later made an additional profit by betting on the timing of the operation’s end.
Two days after the operation concluded, the friend contacted the officer and the two agreed to split the winnings. The friend opened a digital wallet for him and transferred cryptocurrency, which the officer later sold for a profit of about 200,000 shekels.
According to the indictment, the relationship between the two continued and led to additional bets on Polymarket. For example, in September 2025, the officer passed information about an Israeli strike in Yemen. The friend bet that the strike would take place and again made a profit of about $5,000.
The two also allegedly planned to repeat the scheme ahead of the current war. In early January, the reservist informed his friend of rising tensions on the Iranian front and that a strike was imminent. The friend placed bets on two scenarios: an Israeli strike by the end of January and by the end of March.
However, according to the indictment, media reports about an investigation into the betting led the friend to change his username on the site and cancel his bet on a strike by the end of January. As more reports emerged, the two deleted their WhatsApp correspondence and all related images they had exchanged.
The reservist is charged with passing classified information, accepting a bribe and obstruction of justice. The prosecution attributes to the second defendant two counts of passing classified information, as well as bribery, aggravated espionage and obstruction of justice.