An Iranian-linked hacker group claimed on Wednesday that it had breached the mobile phone of former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, announcing the alleged operation with taunts and psychological messaging aimed directly at the ex-leader.
The group, calling itself Handala and widely believed to be affiliated with Iran’s intelligence services, said it had hacked Bennett’s iPhone 13 in what it dubbed “Operation Octopus.” In a statement circulated online, the hackers mocked Bennett’s past emphasis on cybersecurity and his frequent warnings about the “Iranian octopus,” a phrase he used to describe Tehran’s regional proxy network.
“You once boasted of being a beacon of cybersecurity,” the group wrote. “How ironic that your iPhone 13 fell so easily into the hands of Handala.” The hackers claimed Bennett’s “digital fortress was nothing more than a paper wall,” and warned that he had lived for years under an “illusion of control.”
According to the group, the name of the operation was deliberately chosen as a response to Bennett’s rhetoric about striking the “head of the octopus” in Iran. “While you were pointing at the arms of the octopus, the head was already inside your fortress,” the message said.
Handala claimed it had gathered material from Bennett’s phone over an extended period and published what it said were samples of the data, including photos of Bennett consoling bereaved families after October 7, names of alleged contacts, and copies of correspondence purportedly sent to and from the device.
Bennett responded briefly, saying the matter was being handled by the relevant Israeli security and cyber authorities and stressing that the device in question is not currently in use.
