SAEDNEWS: The pro-Palestinian hacker group Handala says it has infiltrated the personal cellular device of former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, accessing sensitive documents and personal communications.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Handala group—named after a symbol associated with Palestinian rejection of the Zionist regime’s existence—claimed it had gained remote access to former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett’s cellphone and hacked his iPhone 13.
The cyber intrusion was dubbed “Operation Octopus,” an apparent reference to Bennett’s past remarks describing Iran as the “head of the octopus” leading anti-Israel forces in West Asia.
Mocking Bennett’s background as a former cybersecurity company executive, the group said: “You once prided yourself on being a leading light of cybersecurity and showcased your expertise to the world.” It added, “How ironic that your iPhone 13 fell so easily into the hands of Handala.”
“Despite all of your pride and boasting,” the statement continued, “your digital fortress is nothing more than a paper wall waiting to be broken.”
Alongside the announcement, Handala published a collection of files it said were extracted from the device. These reportedly include a contact list featuring senior Israeli officials, internal communications, sensitive documents, and personal photographs.
According to the group, the leaked materials contain draft memos and letters, some dated July 2025, as well as political communications that include internal criticism of so-called security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The release also reportedly names senior officials such as far-right settlements and national missions minister Orit Strock and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.
Handala emphasized that the breach was not only a technological achievement but also an act of psychological warfare, describing the information security of senior Israeli officials as “fragile.”
The group called on journalists to contact them via the social media platform X for additional materials.
