Overview
- The group identifying itself as Handala said it accessed the smartphone of Tzachi Braverman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff.
- Handala claimed the trove includes sensitive material and tied forthcoming disclosures to alleged contacts between Netanyahu’s aides and Qatar.
- VINnews reported the group later published purported contact lists, documents, images and message threads said to be from the device, which have not been authenticated.
- The Prime Minister’s Office stated that no breach has been confirmed and that the incident remains under review by authorities.
- The claim escalates a pattern of intrusions attributed to Handala, which previously obtained access to former prime minister Naftali Bennett’s Telegram account, prompting security probes.