Iran-linked hackers claim they breached former minister Ayelet Shaked’s phone

Iran-linked hacking group Handala on Saturday published about 60 pictures and videos it said were stolen from former minister Ayelet Shaked’s mobile phone, in the group’s latest attack on an Israeli political figure.

“For years, Shaked stood on podiums, preaching security, authority, and the fight against her enemies. But now, her messages, documents, and confidential information about Hamas, Iran, and behind-the-scenes decisions are in our hands,” Handala claimed on X. “Stay tuned; parts of what we have uncovered will soon be released, so everyone will know.”

Shaked, a right-wing leader who served as interior and justice minister, did not immediately comment on the statement.

Handala claimed last month that it hacked the phones of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff Tzachi Braverman and of former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who is Shaked’s political ally and Netanyahu’s main challenger. The Prime Minister’s Office denied Braverman’s phone had been breached, while Bennett said his Telegram account was hacked but not the device itself.

In a series of X posts titled “The Queen’s Secrets,” Handala on Saturday alluded to Bennett’s statement, asking Shaked if she would try to “mislead the public by claiming that only Telegram has been compromised.”

Some of the footage in the thread appeared unrelated to Shaked, including a picture of Braverman at the Western Wall in Jerusalem and several videos of an unidentified woman introducing herself as a long-time staffer of Netanyahu’s Likud party and avid supporter of the premier.

Other footage featured Shaked, 49, with her family, friends and co-workers. One grainy picture appeared to show a young Shaked as a soldier holding a semi-automatic rifle.

The footage included videos of Shaked congratulating people on personal occasions; signing Justice Ministry documents and meeting with Bennett in a government office; celebrating her birthday at the Kardan real estate company, where she became chairperson in 2023 after her departure from politics; visiting an army base during the war in Gaza; and accusing pro-Netanyahu journalist Yinon Magal of defending wartime humanitarian aid deliveries to the Strip during the war.

The Queen’s Secrets: Unveiling the Mysteries Behind Ayelet Shaked

Once again, the cyber world has witnessed the true extent of our power! This time, our target was none other than Ayelet Shaked, the controversial figure and so-called security champion of the Zionist regime.… pic.twitter.com/DhaTm64ZIU

— HANDALA (@Handala_Red) January 3, 2026

In an unsourced report in August, Channel 12 said Shaked had been informed by the Shin Bet that Iran hacked a phone belonging to her during the Islamic Republic’s 12-day war with Israel in June. It was unclear if that reported infiltration was related to Handala’s statement Saturday.

Handala, whose name and logo derive from a Palestinian cartoon character, has claimed several attacks on Israeli targets throughout the Gaza war, including hacking loudspeakers in some 20 kindergartens last January to broadcast rocket sirens and odes to terrorism.

The group also reportedly published the personal information of thousands of Israeli gun owners from various sources including the police, the National Security Ministry and private security firms.

Before that, the group posted what it said was footage hacked from former defense minister Benny Gantz, former foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi and former prime minister Ehud Barak, but the pictures Handala posted had already been published.

The group also said it had stolen troves of data from the Soreq nuclear research center and from the Shin Bet internal security agency in late 2024. Neither alleged infiltration was confirmed.