ALBAWABA - Tehran According to several Israeli news sources, a hacking group that calls itself "Hanzala" and is related to Iran has started to put out files, pictures, and contact lists that they say were taken from the phone of the chief of staff to Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister.
The Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth said that the group put out files that it said it got from Tzachi Braverman's phone. Braverman is Netanyahu's chief of staff, and the files include personal pictures, papers, and long contact lists.
Channel 14 says that the group has shared over 110 pages of contact information, including Braverman's personal phone number and the names and numbers of high-ranking people in Israel's security, political, and media sectors. The channel said the leaked materials also include a small amount of correspondence, papers that aren't classified, and pictures and videos from private events.
Long-Term Surveillance Claims
Earlier on Sunday, the group said that they had hacked Braverman's iPhone 16 Pro Max. They claimed that the hack was not new but part of ongoing surveillance. Israel's KAN, a public broadcaster, reported a statement from the group saying it had been "monitoring, listening, and penetrating" the device for years.
Hackers said that Braverman—who is said to be likely to become Israel's ambassador to the UK—was a very important target because of his closeness to Netanyahu and his role in handling sensitive political and security issues. As of this article's release time, Netanyahu's office has not given an official answer to the hacking claims.
How Previous Leaks Happened
The event comes after a number of recent cyber-related news stories that were all caused by the same group. KAN says that "Hanzala" had once made threats to release materials that were said to be connected to a number of Israeli leaders, such as Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is the minister of national security, Benny Gantz and Yoav Gallant, who were both ministers of defense, and Tally Gotliv, who is a member of the Knesset.
KAN said that Gantz's and Gotliv's phones had been hacked before, but reports about Ben-Gvir and Gallant are new.
Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister of Israel, said days earlier that his Telegram account had been hacked in a different event. A little while later, "Hanzala" put out a list of about 5,000 contacts, said to include lawmakers, journalists, high-ranking security officials, and members of military units with special training.
