Prime Minister Netanyahu
Prime Minister NetanyahuPhoto by Alex Kolomoisky/POOL

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit released for publication Sunday evening that he has instructed police to open an investigation into Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, among other officials, following evidence handed to him by police investigators.

The AG emphasized that he was approving an preliminary investigation, and that a criminal investigation has not been opened against the prime minister.

"Over the past few days, many reports have been published in the media which are inaccurate to say the least, regarding investigations and procedures which are supposedly being conducted," Mandelblit's office stated.

"Naturally, we are not able at this stage to relate to these publications, or any detail regarding the course of the investigation," it continued.

Despite that, "the attorney general is aware of the importance of bringing this to the public's attention."

The investigation is the latest in a series of high-level investigations - some of which have escalated into criminal proceedings - against senior officials in both the government and opposition.

Back in May, Mandelblit publicly acknowledged that a number of "sensitive" cases - some of them involving high-level officials - were being examined by his office.