Overview
- Bennett said initial checks found no break-in to his phone, but that his Telegram account was accessed without authorization.
- A hacker group calling itself Handala, described in reports as aligned with Iranian intelligence, claimed responsibility and dubbed the operation "Operation Octopus."
- The group published contacts, private chats, documents and photos, and later released a 141-page list of phone numbers it said belonged to senior Israeli and international figures.
- Bennett’s office said some of the circulated material appears authentic and some is fabricated, and it warned that distributing unlawfully obtained content is a criminal offense.
- Israeli security agencies, including the Shin Bet, are examining the leak’s origin and are probing whether an aide’s device was used to access Bennett’s information.