The Iranian hacker group Handhala has escalated its cyberwar against Israel, publishing a direct threat message that included a new list of targets among Israeli politicians, in a move described as a qualitative escalation in the cyber confrontation.
The message carried an aggressive title implying that a day of reckoning awaits the killers of children. The group stated that the Israeli public has become captive to what it described as the Kahane sect, emphasizing that it distinguishes between citizens and the leaders of the Zionist movement whom it holds responsible for killing civilians.
The group called for free elections in which all inhabitants of the Holy Land—Muslims, Jews, and Christians—would participate, while marginalizing extremist factions, considering this path the only way to achieve a lasting and just peace.
In its new threat, the group specified the names of Israeli politicians it said are now in its target bank: National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Knesset member Tali Gottlieb, and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. It published a joint photo of them, calling on the public to identify which figures they are interested in obtaining information and data about during December 2025.
This escalation came hours after statements by former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who said the cyberattacks targeting him resulted only in the breach of his Telegram account, confirming that this would not prevent him from returning to political life and that his device had been examined and was not actually hacked.
The Handhala group had previously announced hacking Bennett’s personal iPhone 13, publishing private contacts, conversations, photos, videos, and audio recordings, which included personal numbers, among them the phone number of French President Emmanuel Macron.
The group also claimed that about a month ago it sent a bouquet of flowers to the home of a person it said was a senior Israeli nuclear official, in a symbolic message considered an indicator of escalating targeting of sensitive figures.
In a further development, it was reported that the Handhala group published a new message announcing the disclosure of names and detailed profiles of fourteen people it said are central elements in designing and developing drone and unmanned aerial vehicle systems for the Israeli military and defense industries.
The group stated that these individuals are the masterminds behind drone programs and that these systems play a pivotal role in Israeli military activity, accusing them of using them in operations that harm civilians and constitute a violation of international law. It added that publishing the names aims to reinforce the principle of personal responsibility and support international efforts to achieve justice.
Handhala announced a financial reward of thirty thousand dollars for each of the names it published, a move that sparked widespread debate within Israeli security and media circles.
It was mentioned that no official Israeli response has been issued regarding these publications, while cybersecurity experts pointed out that such leaks are examined with great caution, given the possibility that the information is partial, outdated, or compiled from open sources, even if accompanied by widespread media hype.
This threat joins a previous message published by the group one day earlier, in which it threatened to hack the accounts of senior officials in the Israeli political system and presented a public poll asking followers to choose the next target for information disclosure.
It was reported that the Handhala group is known as a pro-Palestinian hacker group, active for years in the digital arena through adopting hacking operations, leaks, and public threats. Estimates by information security companies and cyber research institutes suggest its activities are linked to or sponsored by Iranian entities, without any official state adoption.
In a related context, the national cyber system and security bodies in Israel warned of an increase in operations aimed at influencing public awareness more than causing direct technological damage, noting that such publications, even without actual execution, contribute to spreading anxiety and enhancing a sense of threat within the digital space.
Grossi: Iran Has Not Provided Data on Uranium Stockpiles and Damage After U.S. Strikes
The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, reported that the agency has not received from Iran any data or reports on the status of enriched uranium stockpiles and damage to nuclear facilities.
Grossi, in response to a question, stated that the agency has not received any official information from Iran on these files.
Israel had launched a military operation against Iran on the night of June 13, accusing it of implementing a secret military nuclear program. The strikes targeted nuclear facilities, leadership sites, prominent nuclear physicists, and air bases.
Iran denied these accusations and responded with counterattacks, before the United States joined in
