Thousands of Israeli gun owners allegedly exposed

Pro-Palestinian hacktivists claim to have targeted Israel's Ministry of National Security, with the data of nearly 5000 individuals being exposed.

A hacktivist group has contacted Cybernews, claiming responsibility for a breach of Israel’s Ministry of National Security.

“We hacked Israel’s Ministry of National Security following our victories in the field of the war with the genocidal regime,” wrote the hacktivists in an emailed statement.

The attackers claimed to have confidential data of “the occupation settlers and soldiers.” The group shared thousands of sets of documents, allegedly stolen from the Ministry of National Security, that appear to have exposed Israelis applying for a gun permit.

The nature of the documents suggests that the attackers could have compromised one of the ministry’s subdivisions – a Firearm Licensing Department.

The leaked documents comprise certifications of completed military service, copies of identification documents, residence permits, and medical assessments affirming the individual's physical and mental fitness to operate a weapon.

The information in the sets suggests that some individuals are still serving in the IDF or have finished their service and are among reservists. Many of the individuals are from Tel Aviv, while some settlers' data are also from the occupied West Bank.

Cybernews contacted Israel’s Ministry of National Security but has not received a response.

Intensifying warfare on the digital battleground

Israel has experienced intensifying cyberattacks since it started its war on Palestinian territories, with hackers extensively targeting many Israeli companies and organizations, including the aviation industry, a nuclear facility, industrial control systems, and media.

In September, pro-Palestinian hackers claimed to have breached Israeli politicians' data. They leaked 60,000 thousand ‘secret emails’ allegedly belonging to Gabriel "Gabi" Ashkenazi, an Israeli politician who previously served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. They also exposed Benny Gantz, former defense minister and retired army general.

Last year, AnonGhost targeted the Red Alert app to send fake threats of a nuclear attack, and the pro-Russian hacker gang Anonymous Sudan attacked The Jerusalem Post website, claiming to have targeted Israel’s air defense system, the Iron Dome.

Russian hackers Killnet have also launched distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against Israeli government websites.

Why do hackers target Israel settlers?

Hacks targeting Israeli settlers come as a response to ongoing confrontation on the occupied Palestinian territories between the Israeli settlers and Palestinians.

In September, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stated that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, along with the “associated regime,” were established and are maintained in violation of international law.

The ICJ further noted that Israel systematically discriminates against Palestinians and that its exploitation of natural resources within Palestinian territories also contravenes international law.

The court advised that Israel halt all new settlement activities and relocate settlers from Palestinian territories.

According to an investigation by Human Rights Watch, there has been rising violence among Israeli settlers targeting Palestinians with the active participation of army units.