Bennett admits hackers accessed his Telegram account, says phone not breached

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett acknowledges that while his cellphone itself was not hacked, unauthorized access was gained to his Telegram account, following claims by an Iran-linked hacker group that it had breached his device.

In a statement released by his office, Bennett says the matter is being handled by security authorities and accuses Israel’s enemies of trying to undermine his return to politics.

“Israel’s enemies will do everything to prevent me from becoming prime minister again. It won’t help them,” he says, vowing to continue “acting and fighting for the State of Israel and the people of Israel.”

According to Bennett, further checks found that although his phone was not compromised, hackers accessed his Telegram account “through various means.”

He says content from his contact list, along with images and chats — some authentic and others fabricated — had been unlawfully obtained and circulated. Bennett cites as an example a fake image showing him alongside Israel’s founding prime minister, David Ben-Gurion.

“The materials were obtained illegally, and their distribution constitutes a criminal offense,” Bennett says.

The statement follows reports earlier today that the Iranian “Handala” hacker group claimed to have infiltrated Bennett’s iPhone as part of what it called “Operation Octopus.” Bennett has frequently described Iran as “the head of the octopus” of forces threatening Israel.

He is seen as the most credible challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in next year’s elections, for which he has already begun campaigning.