A document that sparked a row in Israel because it was seen to favour a candidate for the post of military chief of staff was forged, police were quoted on Thursday as saying by Channel 10.
The so-called "war of the generals" hit Israeli headlines on August 8 and has been in the news ever since.
"Nobody at staff headquarters and no one in the office of Defence Minister Ehud Barak was involved in the creation of this document, which the police say is a forgery," the television channel reported.
It was not possible immediately to confirm this with the police, but Barak was quick to issue a statement welcoming the report.
The document, originally published nearly two weeks ago by the private Channel 2 television station, included recommendations allegedly supplied by a public relations firm at the request of General Yoav Galant, the army's commander for southern Israel.
The recommendations appeared designed to boost Galant's chances of being appointed chief of staff after incumbent Gabi Ashkenazi leaves the job next February, and to undermine his two rivals.
Other leading candidates are General Benny Gantz, Ashkenazi's deputy, and Major General Gadi Eizenkot who heads the army's northern command.
Ashkenazi is believed to oppose Galant's candidacy. After the original report appeared, he issued a statement criticising the "damage done to the army and to its popular image.
"Whether the document is authentic or not, the consequences are very serious and should be thoroughly investigated," he said at the time.
On Thursday Barak welcomed the Channel 10 report and said consultations about who would succeed Ashkenazi "will resume in the next few days."
"I was at once convinced this document was a forgery aimed at disturbing the nomination procedure for the next chief of staff. Neither the generals (named) nor the chief of staff were involved in its creation," Barak's statement said.
Israeli press reports had linked the scandal to the poor relations said to exist between the defence minister and the chief of staff.
The police have yet to establish who was behind the document and what the motives were.
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