Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett admitted that he was the victim of a cyber attack that compromised his Telegram account, but his phone was not hacked.

Naftali Bennett, former Prime Minister of Israel and candidate to succeed Benjamin Netanyahu, announced that he was the victim of a cyber attack that compromised his Telegram account. Although the hackers claimed to have breached his phone, Bennett clarified that the device was not hacked, but access to his account was obtained through other means. The content of his account, including photos and discussions, was broadcast on a hacker site called 'Handala'.

This information included phone numbers of some Israeli and foreign officials, including French President Emmanuel Macron. The hackers, who named the attack 'Operation Octopus', mocked Bennett's expertise in cybersecurity. Although the Iranian agency Irna published the names of the obtained contacts, a link to Iran has not been confirmed. Bennett stated that Israel's enemies will try to prevent him from returning to the position of Prime Minister, but he will not be discouraged.