Dozens of Israeli officials arrested in corruption probe

Israeli police have arrested a total of 24 current and former Israeli officials in a corruption investigation, including several from foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman’s party. A further four remain under house arrest.

Israeli media reported on Thursday that the investigation was one of the most "important" anti-corruption operations in the country's history and could come as a blow to Lieberman's Yisrael Beitenu party just three months away from a general election.

According to police, "millions" of shekels of public funds have allegedly been transferred to organisations close to Lieberman’s party.

High-ranking officials implicated include deputy interior minister Faina Kirshenbaum, who has been questioned by police, and her daughter Ronit, who will remain in custody until Sunday, a spokesperson said.

Former tourism minister Stas Misezhnikov, Yisrael Beitenu’s former campaign chief, the former presidents of the basketball and handball federations and several officials in charge of settlement programmes in the West Bank and Golan Heights were also detained.

According to a recent opinion poll, 40% of people who voted for Yisrael Beitenu in the last general election said they were reconsidering their support for his party in the wake of the corruption scandal.

Lieberman had been forced to leave the post in December 2012 following a corruption probe, but was reinstated in November last year. He has refused to comment on the investigation, AFP news agency reported.

Israelis will head to the polls in March for the second general election in just over two years after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved parliament in December, following the breakdown of his coalition government.