Itai Ilnai

Itai Ilnai was born in 1981 in Yavne

Itai Ilnai was born in 1981 and grew up in Yavne, where he finished Ginsburg High School. He lives in the western Negev with his wife Maayan, and he is the father of 2 daughters and a son.

He served as a fighter in the Maglan unit, where he was a team sergeant and took part in Operation Defensive Shield. From 2003 to 2005 he worked in the security division of El Al and ran its Shanghai station.

He holds a bachelor's degree in communications and political science and a research master's degree in security studies from Tel Aviv University. His thesis examined why the Shin Bet law was passed. He teaches investigative journalism and magazine writing at Sapir College.

He began as a sports reporter for Zman Tel Aviv in 2007 and moved to Yedioth Tel Aviv in 2009. From 2015 to 2016 he was newsroom coordinator of the investigative program Mabat Sheni. In 2016 he joined the weekend supplements of Yedioth Ahronoth, where he published investigations, interviews and political profiles.

In 2024 he became the investigative reporter of Israel Hayom, where he also hosts a podcast. His work there focuses on the Swords of Iron war, including Hamas preparations for the October 7 attack and the conduct of the Shin Bet before it.