Cyber Attacks Shake Israel Amid Gaza Crisis
In a series of coordinated cyber attacks, Israel has been rocked by a wave of digital disruptions as tensions surrounding the Gaza crisis escalate.
The most shocking incident occurred during a live broadcast, where guests suddenly vanished from the screen, only to be replaced by the Egyptian national anthem and flag. A banner appeared, reading, "Logged in by Egyptian hacker Ahmed Osman," while a scrolling message declared, "We reject the displacement of Gaza residents from their land... Palestine will remain free."
This attack coincides with US President Donald Trump's controversial proposal to permanently relocate Gaza's Palestinian population to neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan. Trump presented the plan during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for the Gaza Strip to be transformed into a 'Riviera of the Middle East.' The plan has been met with international outrage, particularly from Palestinian leaders and governments across the Middle East. President Mahmoud Abbas has condemned it as a violation of international law, while Hamas has called it a "recipe for chaos."
Neighboring countries, including Egypt and Jordan, have firmly rejected the proposal, with Saudi Arabia expressing its "unwavering" support for an independent Palestinian state.
In another cyber strike, the Hanzala hacker group, believed to have links to Iranian intelligence, claimed responsibility for breaching Israeli police databases and stealing over two terabytes of sensitive data. According to Israel's Channel 12, the hackers accessed employee records, medical files, court documents, and more. Reports indicate that 350,000 of these documents have already been made public.
The breach comes amid heightened tensions following the arrest of two Israeli soldiers accused of espionage for Iran. These soldiers allegedly passed classified information to Iranian handlers, raising fears of further infiltration within Israel's security apparatus.
On the digital front, the English-language website "The Times of Israel" was also hacked by a group calling itself 'Dark Engine,' which identified itself as a pro-Palestinian collective. The group replaced the site's contents with a black screen and a message reading, 'Do you really think you are safe in Palestine?' followed by 'We are everywhere, but you cannot see us!' The message ended with the phrase "#FreePalestine" and 'Allahu Akbar' in green text. The website returned to normal after a brief period.
These cyber attacks underscore the increasing use of digital warfare in the ongoing conflict, reflecting the intensity of the geopolitical struggles over Gaza and the broader Middle East.
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