Iran-linked hacking group Handala on Sunday released a series of photos, documents, and contacts it claimed were from the phone of Tzachi Braverman, chief of staff of the Prime Minister’s Office.
“The era of hiding behind closed doors is over – now, your secrets are available to those who seek the truth,” the group wrote on X/Twitter.
Among the leaks was a list of contacts, including Chaim Pliegeltaub, a board member of Betar, and ‘Chen Ifergan Whatsapp,’ likely referring to a contact within the PR agency Ifergan. Earlier, the Prime Minister’s Office stated there had been “no indications” that Braverman’s phone was compromised, noting that an investigation was ongoing.
“Not just now. Handala has been watching, infiltrating, and listening for years. The silent guardian you trusted, the one orchestrating Bibi’s world, deciding who gets in and who disappears, collecting every dirty secret, has become your greatest vulnerability,” Handala wrote.
“The vault you depended on is now ours.”
Handala also claimed to have sent Braverman’s personal information to the private email address of former prime minister Naftali Bennett, Israeli media reported on Sunday afternoon. Bennett immediately involved security officials in the matter and instructed that no political use be made of the “products of the Iranian attack, should they be received.”
“Against Israel’s enemies, we are all one fist,” Bennett said.
Handala publishes 'Flight BB Gate' poem about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Earlier, the group published a vaguely threatening poem referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to the United States, just as the prime minister and his wife, Sarah, took off for a diplomatic visit to Florida.
The tweet opened with the phrase “Flight BB Gate,” which could be a play on words. BB, or Bibi, is a common nickname for Netanyahu, and “gate” is often used in international discourse as a hint at an affair or scandal. Handala may be attempting to link the prime minister’s flight to a problematic or sensitive incident, but it did not specify the circumstances.
Handala’s poem continues to describe “Flight BB Gate” as it “rises above the clouds,” referencing the physical act of traveling via airplane.
The group makes no explicit claim of hacking Netanyahu but invokes an impression of presence or awareness of sensitive information passing through communication networks.
Dr. Itay Gal contributed to this report.