Wave of cyberattacks against Israeli officials intensifies

The group hacked the phone number of War Minister Israel Katz, published it online, and on the evening of Thursday, September 11, briefly contacted him.

According to the Israeli outlet Yedioth Ahronoth, one of the hackers initiated a video call with Katz, who confirmed the incident. Before ending the call, the hackers took a screenshot of Katz’s face and shared it online along with several WhatsApp messages they had sent him.

According to Middle East Eye, the third message sent to Katz—unlike the first two—showed only a single check mark, indicating that Katz had blocked the hackers.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Katz had used the same phone number for many years, and that it had been circulated in various groups in the past. Katz, 69, has served as Israel’s War Minister since November 2024.

Channel 12 reported that several Israeli officials have been targeted by hackers since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023. Former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked was also targeted last month, when hackers gained access to her Telegram account. Notably, Shaked was only informed of the breach two weeks later.

Meanwhile, according to the Jerusalem Post, dozens of Israeli actors fell victim to a sophisticated phishing attack. Israelis claimed the attacks may have originated in Iran. In this case, hackers gained access to an email account and sent fake casting invitations for a supposed film project by a well-known director.

Actors were asked to send audition videos along with personal details, including passport scans, ID cards, and home addresses. The Jerusalem Post reported that dozens of actors complied, only to later receive threatening messages.

One Israeli actress revealed that the scam appeared to be linked to a film allegedly by director Ari Folman about the events of October 7. She said hackers requested a personal video explaining why she would be suitable for the project, along with her identity documents.

According to the Jerusalem Post, such attacks against Israeli officials appear to be intensifying. The newspaper suggested these operations aim to collect personal data to support potential physical attacks inside Israel. This wave of cyberattacks has raised serious concerns about the security of Israeli officials’ personal information.