Massive cyberattacks on websites of several Israeli institutions and centers
Israeli media reported that since the morning of Thursday, June 1, the websites of a number of institutions and centers in the country have been targeted by cyberattacks, with a message on their front pages calling for the "destruction of Israel."
The websites of some municipalities and institutions, such as the Sea of Galilee Protection Organization, whose water is important to Israel, are among the centers that have been hacked, and at the bottom of these pages, the phrase "Savior Hackers" can be seen.
According to the Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post, the home page of the hacked sites featured a video and warnings in both Hebrew and English, including "Expect a big surprise."
A message in broken Hebrew and English also reads: "The countdown to the destruction of Israel has long begun."
The phrase "Israel will not see the next 25 years" is also included in Hebrew on some sites; this is a famous statement by Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in September 2015.
Also, images and statements from Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of Lebanon's Hezbollah, are featured on the front pages of some sites, and on some other sites, an image of an "injured" Benjamin Netanyahu is seen struggling to avoid drowning in the water, with boats and a burning beach, probably Tel Aviv, in the background.
This painting is probably a reference to one of Hossein Salami's statements in May of last year, shortly before his appointment as commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards, to the Israeli Prime Minister: "Practice swimming in the Mediterranean, because soon you will have no choice but to flee to the sea."
Israel's National Cyber Defense Headquarters said Thursday's cyberattack, despite its scope, was "superficial" and "did not cause any damage" to infrastructure, and that necessary measures have been taken to eliminate the hack and investigate the causes of the attack.
Some Israeli media outlets have attributed these attacks to Iran and considered them an act on the eve of "Quds Day," but some technology experts, such as Lotem Finkelstein, have said that the possibility that the Palestinian movement Hamas from Gaza and other Palestinian supporters from Turkey and African countries were responsible for this attack is considered, given the history of such actions in recent weeks.
Digital affairs expert Avitar Gat told The Jerusalem Post: "This was a hybrid attack, with the aim of damaging sites to disrupt economic activity, as well as gaining access to computer cameras and users' personal information."
Fox News reported last month that Iranian hackers attacked Israel's water network in the first week of May, causing no damage but taking the country by surprise.
The Washington Post and the New York Times also wrote in recent days that Israel, in response to a cyberattack on the country's water network, launched a cyberattack on the operating computers of Rajai Port in southern Iran on May 10, which caused serious disruption to the loading and unloading of ships for several days.
Israel's Channel 13 reported Wednesday evening that the effects of the Israeli cyberattack on Rajai Port are still ongoing, and many ships have not yet unloaded or have been unable to load.
Alon Ben-David, a military correspondent for Israel's Channel 13 television, said that the country's army used advanced and secret facilities that had never been used before to launch an electronic attack on the Rajai port.
On the other hand, reactions continue to the publication of a poster on the website of the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which used the phrase "final solution" for the Palestinian issue.
At the same time, the Guardian Council approved the resolution of the Islamic Consultative Assembly entitled "Countering the hostile actions of the Zionist regime (Israel) against peace and security."
Every year on the eve of "Quds Day," the last Friday of Ramadan, verbal attacks and tensions between Iran and Israel escalate.
Source: Radio Farda
