Israeli Analyst: Iranian Hack Puts Israel in ‘Difficult’ Position
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, an Israeli analyst, Avi Ashkenazi, has stated that Iran has successfully placed Israel in a difficult situation, particularly its internal security apparatus, following the infiltration of former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s mobile phone by the Hanthala hacking group.
Speaking to Israeli media outlet Maariv, Ashkenazi stated that Bennett, as a prominent figure under the protection of Unit 730 of the Shabak (Israel Security Agency), had his security compromised. He added that Shabak’s attempts to distance itself from the scandal were failing. “Shabak is responsible for the entire security system of the figures it protects, and there is no room for negligence or oversight,” he stated, asserting that Shabak, under the leadership of David Zini, had failed.
Ashkenazi emphasized that the issue extends beyond Bennett’s phone. “The problem is not only related to Bennett’s phone; the issue is much broader,” he said. “Iran is engaged in a coordinated effort to infiltrate Israel through various means and is using cyberspace to attack Israeli targets.”
He criticized Israel’s handling of these developments, urging the security establishment to change its approach. He warned, “Today, the Iranians succeeded in hacking Naftali Bennett’s phone; tomorrow, they may succeed in hacking Israel’s strategic system, and then it may be too late.”
Two days prior, Channel 12 of the Israeli regime alleged that Iranian hackers had hacked the phone of former Prime Minister Bennett, publishing thousands of private numbers, images, and conversations related to Bennett’s internal groups.
