Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara approved two months ago the procurement of new spyware to be used by the police in criminal investigations, Israel Hayom has learned from a Justice Ministry source. 

The spyware has been deemed by the police and the Attorney General's Office as "confidential," and as such, no details are available on the system or the procurement.

The police submitted a request for approval to Baharav-Miara after a probe led by Deputy Attorney General Amit Marari cleared it of allegations of misuse of the Pegasus spyware, a controversial technology developed by Israel's NSO Group. 

The request comes following an unprecedented increase in violent crimes in the Arab sector, including of elected officials, with Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai lamenting the Justice Minister has left his forces to fight crime with outdated means. 

The Attorney General's Office was not immediately available for comment.