A hacking group identifying itself as “Hanzala” claims to have obtained sensitive information concerning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and intends to release it publicly soon. This is the same group that recently breached the Telegram account of former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
In a statement released earlier today, the group asserted they gained access to the material by hacking the phone of Tzachi Braverman, Netanyahu’s chief of staff, who was recently approved by the Israeli government to become Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom.
The group posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that they had compromised Braverman’s iPhone 16 Pro Max. They claim to possess “encrypted chats, hidden deals, blatant ethical and financial deviations, abuse of power, extortion, and bribes.” The group further stated that Braverman, once the “gatekeeper” and one of Netanyahu’s closest associates, has now become “the system’s biggest vulnerability.” They have dubbed the operation “The Fall of the Gatekeeper.”
In the first official Israeli response, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted a source in the Prime Minister’s Office as saying, “We are examining reports of Iranian hackers breaching the phone of the head of Netanyahu’s office staff.”
Days prior, Israeli media reported that a hacking group had compromised Bennett’s phone, which contained the phone numbers of high-ranking security officials. While Bennett initially denied these reports, he later acknowledged that his Telegram account had been “accessed by various means,” adding that “a contact list, along with numerous photos and conversations – some real and some fabricated – have been published.”
Who is the ‘Hanzala’ Group?
The ‘Hanzala’ group, seemingly named after the iconic Palestinian cartoon character, is reportedly involved in what are known as “hack and leak” operations with a propagandistic nature, which involve publishing information linked to prominent Israeli figures or institutions. The group’s activities have intensified since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
