The ever-expanding probe into Jeffrey Epstein’s pedophile ring is now threatening to derail the Israeli election as DailyMail.com has obtained exclusive pictures of one of Benjamin Netanyahu’s main challengers hiding his face as he entered the convicted sex offender’s Manhattan townhouse.

A bevy of young women were also seen going into the multi-millionaire’s lavish seven-story home on the same day that Ehud Barak was snapped.

Barak, a former prime minister of Israel w now trying to make a comeback in Israeli politics, has long had business ties to Epstein, which Netanyahu’s team are now trying to exploit.

And the pictures that DailyMail.com has obtained are certain to add fuel to the fire, as Barak claims he has 'never met Epstein in the company of women or young girls.'

The photographs were taken in January 2016 after Epstein, now 66, had returned to New York after an overseas trip.

Within hours at least four young women had gone to the home that the federal government wants to seize as part of its new case against the financier.

The probe into Jeffrey Epstein's pedophile ring is now threatening to derail the Israeli election as these pictures obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com show Ehud Barak, one of Benjamin Netanyahu's main challengers, trying to hide his face as he entered the convicted pedophile's Manhattan townhouse. The former prime minister announced his return to politics as the leader of a new party in Israel’s coming national election, saying it was time to end Benjamin Netanyahu’s “corrupt leadership

Barak admitted that the pictures are indeed of him, blaming his bizarre attire on being cold, the 77-year-old claims that he has 'never met Epstein in the company of women or young girls'

However, a bevy of young women were also seen going into the multi-millionaire's lavish seven-story home on the same day that Ehud Barak was snapped, which will certainly add fuel to the fire. Pictured: 'It' girls Susan 'Sue' Hamblin (left) was spotted at the home as well as another young unidentified woman (right)

Within hours at least four young women had gone to the home that the federal government wants to seize as part of its new case against the hedge fund manager. Pictured: Chef Jennifer Kalin (left) was seen arriving at the sprawling pad as well as Russian-born model Svetlana Pozhidaeva (right)

The photographs were taken in January 2016 after Epstein, now 66, (pictured in January 2016) had returned to New York after an overseas trip. The wealthy financier is currently locked up in Manhattan as he waits for a judge to announce whether he should be released on bail. He has been charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy to traffic minors for sex

DailyMail.com reported at the time that the women included long-time Epstein friends Sue Hamblin and Jennifer Kalin as well as Russian model Lana Pozhidaeva.

A fourth, unidentified, woman was seen joining Epstein on a trip to Teterborough Airport in New Jersey, where Epstein keeps his plane and where he was arrested on the tarmac on July 6 after he flew in from France.

At the time, the identity of the man seen with his own security detail going to Epstein’s mansion on East 71st Street was unclear. Now DailyMail.com has confirmed it was Barak.

Separately, he admitted to the Daily Beast, that it was him but said his visit was innocent. 'I was there, for lunch or chat, nothing else. So what?'

'I never attended a party with him. I never met Epstein in the company of women or young girls.'

Barak, now 77, was wearing a camouflage-design neck gaiter which he pulled high over his face almost to his glasses when he went into the East 77th Street mansion. When he came out more than an hour later, he was wearing it on his head.

He told the Daily Beast he was bundled up against the January New York weather. 'It was so cold the Middle Easterner had to put on a hat.'

Barak, now 77, was wearing a camo-style neck gaiter which he pulled high over his face almost to his glasses when he went into the East 77th Street mansion

When Barak came out more than an hour later, he was wearing the neck gaiter as a hat. Barak's name and contact numbers were among around 50 circled in Epstein's 'little black book' which was published by Gawker in 2015

Barak, who was Israeli prime minister from 1999-2001 and then defense minister from 2007-2013 has been seen as having a real chance of ending Netanyahu's 10-year reign at the helm of Israeli politics

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz Epstein invested millions of dollars in Barak's company, Carbyne, which develops geolocation software for emergency services

He also said he had been to Little St. James, Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands, admitting it was after revelations that Epstein used the island for underage sex. Again, he said he had not been to any parties or met girls there.

Barak's name and contact numbers were among around 50 circled in Epstein's 'little black book' which was published by Gawker in 2015. Other names circled included several victims of his pedophile ring, Donald Trump, Courtney Love and lawyer Alan Dershowitz.

Details for former president Bill Clinton and Britain's Prince Andrew were included but had not been circled.

Barak, who was Israeli prime minister from 1999-2001 and then defense minister from 2007-2013 has been seen as having a real chance of ending Netanyahu's 10-year reign at the helm of Israeli politics.

Last month he announced the formation of a new party to fight do-over elections scheduled for September 17 after an earlier poll ended in deadlock.

This weekend Barak wrote on Facebook that he is trying to break off his business relations with Epstein. 'For almost five years, a company associated with Epstein has been a passive investor in a limited partnership, legally registered in Israel and under my control,' he wrote.

'Every investor in this partnership is bound by the same commercial contract. As soon as the present charges related to Epstein became known, I instructed my lawyers to examine the options we have for expelling the company associated with Epstein from this partnership.'

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz Epstein invested millions of dollars in Barak's company, Carbyne, which develops geolocation software for emergency services.

Barak, who was Israeli prime minister from 1999-2001 and then defense minister from 2007-2013 has been seen as having a real chance of ending Netanyahu's 10-year reign at the helm of Israeli politics. Pictured: Netanyahu with Barak in 2012

Pictured: Barak and his wife Nili Priel on December 31, 2018. At the weekend, Barak told the Israeli version of Meet the Press that he had no idea that Epstein's charges involved underage girls

Carbyne also received $2.5 million from Epstein's former close friend, Victoria's Secret boss Les Wexner, the Miami Herald reported. Wexner bought Epstein's mansion for a record $13.2 million in 1989 but never moved in.

Ownership was transferred to Epstein in 2011. The house is now valued at around $77 million. Wexner says he severed ties from Epstein about 10 years ago.

At the weekend, Barak told the Israeli version of Meet the Press that he had no idea that Epstein's charges involved underage girls. 'He'd served his sentence for soliciting prostitution — the indictment didn't say she was a minor,' he said.

Prosecutors claim Epstein had a false Saudi passport with his picture in a safe in his mansion, alongside hundreds of naked photographs of women and girls, 'piles of cash' and 'dozens of diamonds'

'The American system itself did not label him as a persona non grata,' Barak added. 'The secretary who just resigned in the Trump administration was the prosecutor and he said he'd been negligent — so you expect me to have noticed [anything wrong]?' he added, referring to Alex Acosta who resigned as labor secretary last week.

Netanyahu's right-wing Likud Party has already called for a criminal investigation into Barak's ties to Epstein. The prime minister tweeted that he should investigated 'immediately'.

Epstein is currently locked up in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan as he waits for a judge to announce whether he should be released on bail. He has been charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy to traffic minors for sex.

His lawyer told Judge Richard Berman on Monday that he was willing to post $100 million bail but prosecutors say he should remain in custody until his trial as their case is 'already significantly stronger and getting stronger every day.'

Prosecutor Alex Rossmiller said a false Saudi passport with Epstein's picture was found in a safe when cops raided his mansion last weekend, alongside hundreds of naked photographs of women and girls, 'piles of cash' and 'dozens of diamonds.'

He said several women had come forward following Epstein's indictment and now prosecutors are trying to corroborate their accusations.

Two alleged victims, Courtney Wild and Anna Farmer, told Judge Berman that Epstein should be denied bail. 'I was sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein at the age of 14,' said Wild. 'He is a scary person to have walking the street.

Farmer said: 'I was 16 years old when I had the misfortune of meeting Mr. Epstein here in New York.' She gave no details other than saying he had been 'inappropriate' with her.