The Israeli Justice Ministry announced it is investigating a cybersecurity breach reported on Friday, following claims by hacker activists opposed to the Gaza conflict.
These activists assert they infiltrated the ministry’s servers, extracting extensive data volumes.
“Experts from the ministry and beyond have been addressing the incident and its consequences since morning,” stated the ministry on the X social media platform.
The hackers released what they claim to be documents acquired during the hack, including legal texts and confidential drafts of agreements and contracts.
The authenticity of these documents has not been independently confirmed by Reuters. The Justice Ministry has noted that it had anticipated such breaches and that its functions were not disrupted.
The National Cyber Directorate had predicted a spike in cyberattack attempts related to Iran’s Quds Day, coinciding with the last Friday of Ramadan, amidst ongoing violence in Gaza that has exacerbated a humanitarian crisis and regional tensions.
Over six months, Israeli operations in Gaza aimed at Hamas have resulted in over 33,000 Palestinian deaths and at least 75,000 injuries, Gaza’s health authorities report.
The conflict was initiated on October 7, following an assault by Hamas on southern Israel, which led to 1,200 deaths and around 250 hostages, as per Israeli records.
In response to mounting international pressure and urgent humanitarian needs, Israel has announced the reopening of the Erez checkpoint to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid into northern Gaza.
The decision follows condemnation over the killing of aid workers by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) during the recent conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that Israel will temporarily permit humanitarian aid deliveries through the port of Ashdod and the Erez checkpoint.
This move aims to prevent a worsening humanitarian crisis and ensure continued assistance to the people of Gaza.
