Hundreds of propaganda leaflets warning of water and electricity shutdowns appeared in north Tel Aviv apartment buildings; Shin Bet and police investigating how Iranian operatives distributed material undetected
Iranian operatives succeeded in planting hundreds of threatening propaganda leaflets in mailboxes across multiple apartment buildings in northern Tel Aviv, in what appears to be a significant security breach that allowed the material to be distributed undetected.
Residents discovered the flyers earlier today, filling every mailbox in several buildings in the area.
The leaflets contained a message hinting at the possibility of cutting off water and electricity supplies in Israel, along with a QR code that directed citizens to a threatening text from the Iranian hacker group "Handala."
The Iranian threat warns that if Israel attacks Iranian energy infrastructure, Iran will respond by targeting Israeli electricity and water infrastructure.
The incident raises serious questions, as whoever carried out the operation on Iran's behalf managed to complete a series of steps without detection: maintaining contact with Iranian handlers, apparently receiving payment for services, and then printing and distributing the leaflets themselves.
In a statement claiming responsibility, the hacker group said: "Dozens of activists from the Popular Resistance Front 'Handala' operated in the city of Tel Aviv until dawn, going door to door, without alarms, without warning sirens, and delivered hundreds of thousands of warning leaflets directly to the homes of settlers. Each leaflet, bearing the symbol of the Popular Resistance Front and the hashtags #NoWater and #NoElectricity, directed Tel Aviv residents to Handala's official website, where a clear warning awaited them: 'If your leaders act irresponsibly again and target the energy infrastructure of the resistance front, be prepared to pay a heavy price, not on the battlefield, but in your daily lives.'"
Israel Police stated: "Yarkon District officers arrived at the locations that were reported and collected evidence. As part of the investigation, the circumstances of the leaflet distribution are being examined. The investigation is ongoing. Citizens who encounter a leaflet of this type are asked to contact the police hotline at 100." The Shin Bet is also participating in the investigation.
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