Iranian hackers claim to break into phone of top Netanyahu aide; Prime Minister’s Office denies

The same group of Iranian hackers who broke into former prime minister Naftali Bennett’s phone last week claim they managed to crack the phone of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman.

The Handala hackers say they will release new information today that ties Braverman to the Qatargate scandal.

The Prime Minister’s Office tells The Times of Israel that “no breach has been found. The issue is being investigated.”

Two of Netanyahu’s advisers are alleged to have worked on behalf of Qatar for the Perception PR firm headed by Yisrael Einhorn, Netanyahu’s former campaign manager, while employed by the premier.

In an interview aired last week, one of the advisers, Eli Feldstein, said Braverman was involved in a separate but related alleged scandal involving the leak of classified information to German tabloid Bild as part of an alleged scheme to sway public opinion and ease pressure on Jerusalem to reach a deal with Hamas.

Feldstein, who has admitted to leaking the information, claimed that Braverman learned of a secret IDF investigation into the leak and reassured him it could be quashed, though the chief of staff also threatened him if he snitched to investigators.

Braverman is slated to become Israel’s ambassador to the UK, but the allegations have threatened to hold up the appointment.

Both Braverman and Netanyahu deny any involvement in the scandals.