Herzi Halevi is Having a Very Bad Day
Iranian-linked hacking group Handala claims it has breached the personal mobile phone of Lt. Gen. (ret.) Herzi Halevi, former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.The group says it stole over 19,000 files, including videos and images from internal military meetings, and has started leaking material.
The Iranian-linked hacking collective Handala (also known as Handalah or Hanzala Hack) announced today that it has successfully hacked the personal mobile phone of Lt. Gen. (ret.) Herzi Halevi, former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.
According to the group’s statements posted on X and Telegram in the past few hours, Handala claims to have gained long-term access to Halevi’s device and extracted more than 19,000 confidential images and videos, including footage from internal Israeli military meetings, along with personal photos, documents, and other sensitive files. The group described the operation as a major intelligence victory and has already begun leaking selected materials.
One of the first images released allegedly shows Halevi in a meeting with Jordan’s Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti. Handala stated, “This is just the beginning,” and threatened further disclosures.
Handala is a pro-Iranian hacktivist group with a documented history of targeting high-profile Israeli figures. Previous claims by the group include breaches of:
Israeli officials have previously described many of Handala’s announcements as exaggerated or the result of social-engineering tactics rather than highly sophisticated technical hacks. Cybersecurity researchers link the group to Iranian intelligence networks.
The story has gone viral on social media within hours and is being widely shared by pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel accounts.
As with prior Handala announcements, independent verification of the full breach and the sensitivity of the alleged material is not yet available. Experts note that these claims often blend real data with propaganda-style exaggeration.