Israeli Investigation After Announcement of Breach of Prominent Official's Phone

SadaNews: A source in the office of the Israeli Prime Minister said on Sunday that there are no indications at this stage that the phone of Tzahi Braverman, the director of the Prime Minister's office, has been hacked, confirming that the investigation is still ongoing.

The source explained: "So far, there is no evidence that the mobile phone of the office director Braverman has been hacked, but investigations are still ongoing."

According to the Jerusalem Post, the statement came following claims made by a hacking group linked to Iran known as "Handala," which alleged that it hacked Braverman's iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The group stated in a statement that it has been "monitoring, hacking, and listening for years," considering that what it described as the "silent circle" surrounding the Prime Minister has turned into a "weak point," without providing tangible evidence for its claims.

In a related context, "Handala" earlier published a threatening-themed poem titled "BB Gate," referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to the United States.

The title was considered a play on words, as the nickname "Bibi" is widely used to refer to Netanyahu, while the term "gate" is internationally used to indicate potential scandals.

Despite the suggestive tone of the text, the poem did not contain an explicit claim regarding the hacking of the Prime Minister's phone, but rather implied having information or monitoring what is happening through communication networks, according to observers.