On Tuesday, the hacker group\u2019s X account had posted the cryptic message, \u201cSometimes you can feel tomorrow before it arrives\u2026 It doesn\u2019t seem like a good day for the guardians of health.\u201d<\/p>\n
The apparent hack is one of many Iran-linked espionage efforts within Israel. Politicians\u2019 data has been hacked, and the Iranian regime has made extensive efforts to recruit spies in Israel via text messages and offers of cash payments.<\/p>\n
Clalit\u2019s website says that it serves 4.8 million Israelis, approximately half the country. In response to the hackers\u2019 claims, Clalit said its cybersecurity specialists were investigating, that it had notified the government and that its systems were running normally.<\/p>\n
\u201cUpon receipt of the report, monitoring and response mechanisms were activated, and proactive preventative measures were taken to strengthen defense, alongside a professional and comprehensive investigation of the information that was publicized, and its extent,\u201d the organization said in a statement reported by Hebrew media.<\/p>\n
\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/iStock-1370233320-640x400.jpg\")
\n\t\tAn illustrative photo of a person typing on a keyboard as part of a cyber breach. (Techa Tungateja; iStock by Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The hack is far from the first time Handala has boasted of accessing sensitive Israeli data. It occurred at a time when tensions are rising between Jerusalem and Tehran, as US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran and Iran has vowed to retaliate by striking Israel.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgainst the backdrop of previous security tensions with Iran, [Handala] has shifted into a higher gear,\u201d Gil Messing, chief of staff at the Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point, told the Ynet news outlet. \u201cBased on past experience, this is a group that is somewhat, though not fully, credible. Generally, when they say they have done something, it means something has happened, but not to the extent that they describe, so there\u2019s a level of exaggeration.\u201d<\/p>\n
In December, Handala said it had hacked the phone of former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who is considered the most credible challenger to the current premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, in this year\u2019s elections.<\/p>\n
Bennett\u2019s office acknowledged<\/a> that his account on the messaging platform Telegram had been infiltrated, but said his phone hadn\u2019t been breached.<\/p>\n \t Images, contacts and other information claimed by the group to have been obtained from Bennett\u2019s phone were published on a website alleged to be run by Handala, and a link to download what it claimed was his list of phone contacts was shared by the account @Handala_Red on X. There was no way to confirm that the account and the website were run by the group claiming to have hacked the former prime minister\u2019s phone.<\/p>\n Later, the group also said it had hacked the phones of Ayelet Shaked<\/a>, a former cabinet minister and close Bennett ally, and Tzachi Braverman<\/a>, Netanyahu\u2019s chief of staff.<\/p>\n Other Iran-linked hackers have also targeted the Israeli health care system. Last October, over the holiday of Yom Kippur, the Assaf Harofeh Medical Center was hit with an attack<\/a> by Qilin, a Russian-speaking cybercrime organization thought to be based in Eastern Europe. The group threatened to publish patient data unless it received a ransom of $70,000.<\/p>\n Weeks later, the government said<\/a> Iran was behind that attack.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.<\/p>\n Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.<\/p>\n So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing\u00a0exclusive content\u00a0available only to Times of Israel Community members.<\/p>\n Thank you, \t\t\t
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/F251119YS419-640x400.jpg\")
\n\t\tFormer prime minister Naftali Bennett speaks during a conference in Jerusalem on November 19, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel\/Flash90)<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYou appreciate our wartime journalism\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/DH-new-headshot-circular.png\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n