Using the popular messaging app WhatsApp, Hamas is trying to hack Israeli army soldiers to gain access to Israeli military secrets.
An Israeli military spokesman said that some members of the Hamas terrorist group are impersonating Israeli soldiers in order to gain access to confidential information.
According to the spokesman's statement, the messages sent to the soldiers were like this: "Hi, I'm Yisrael from the 51st Battalion." Many soldiers reported receiving messages asking for information about the military unit's training programs and movements.
The spokesman also stated that "the Israeli army is aware of the enemy's activity and is following its efforts on social media. We call on all military and civilian personnel to act carefully and responsibly.".
In May, the Eurovision Song Contest, held in Tel Aviv, was hacked , with animated images showing explosions in the city’s coastal area. The contest was broadcast on Israel’s Kan 11 radio station, but instead of the popular music competition, messages such as “Warning: Missile attack, please take shelter” and “Israel is not safe. You will see!” began to appear.
behind this cyberattack , which was confirmed by the country's National Cyber Directorate, which provides assistance and guidance on cyber-defense policy issues.
In a tweet on May 5, the Israeli military claimed to have “thwarted a Hamas Cyber Attack attempt against Israeli targets. Following the successful defensive operation, we targeted a building used by Hamas for its attacks. The HamasCyberHQ.exe program has been taken down.” The tweet also included an image of the building where the group was operating.
This is the first known attack on a physical target in response to a cyberattack. An Israeli military spokesman, Brigadier General Ronen Manlis, claimed that “after addressing the digital dimension, the [Israeli] Air Force also addressed the physical dimension,” adding that “at this time, Hamas does not have operational capabilities in cyberspace.”
Yesterday's revelation, however, contradicts those claims. The group has used other methods to gain access to Israeli operations, including creating fake Facebook and dating website accounts to monitor the phones of Israeli soldiers.
In July 2018, the Haaretz newspaper reported that Hamas had used online dating platforms and World Cup soccer apps to install malware on Android smartphones, allowing members of the movement to access images, phone numbers, and email addresses of soldiers stationed near the Gaza fence.
