Israeli authorities have launched an investigation into the distribution of threatening posters in several areas north of Tel Aviv. The posters, which included QR codes leading to a website with messages threatening to target Israel's energy and water facilities, were found in multiple mailboxes. According to the police, the website, titled "Warning from Hanzala Team", contained a message warning Israelis of severe consequences if their leadership continued to launch attacks on what the message described as the energy infrastructure of the "Resistance Front".
The message on the website specifically threatened to destroy Israel's power plants, oil refineries, and water desalination facilities in the occupied Palestinian territories. The group behind the posters, Hanzala, claimed responsibility for the operation, stating that they had sent dozens of elements to carry out the task and distributed "hundreds of thousands" of posters in the heart of Tel Aviv. The group described the move as a "shock to the Zionist security illusion".
The Israeli police have not confirmed the number of posters distributed, but have collected the materials as evidence in their investigation. The probe is being conducted in collaboration with the Shin Bet security agency to identify those responsible for the operation and the nature of the links between the group and Iranian entities. This incident comes amid rising Israeli concerns about attempts to recruit individuals to work on behalf of Iran.
Over the past two years, Israeli authorities have arrested dozens of people suspected of carrying out tasks on behalf of Iranian entities in exchange for financial compensation. These tasks often began with seemingly limited activities, such as property sabotage or photographing public sites, before sometimes escalating into more serious activities, including acts of violence.
Hanzala has been linked to a series of cyber operations targeting companies and officials in Israel and the United States since the outbreak of the war with Iran in late February. These operations have included a devastating cyberattack on the American medical equipment and services company, Stricker, and the leaking of personal emails allegedly belonging to the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel.
In recent months, Hanzala has also claimed to have hacked into the phones of former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office head, Tzachi Braverman. The group has also published images it claims relate to the professional and family life of former Israeli Chief of Staff, Hertzi Halevi.
The latest incident marks a shift from Hanzala's previous cyberattacks and data breaches to using physical threat messages within Tel Aviv. The Israeli authorities have yet to comment on the potential impact of these threats or the measures being taken to address them.
Key points
- The investigation is ongoing, with Israeli authorities working to determine the extent of Hanzala's involvement and potential links to Iranian entities.
